Percy Jackson and the Lost Hero
by flawedesires
Summary: Sequel to Children of Olympus: Poseidon's Daughter, Percy Jackson is swept into the 'myths' of Ancient Greece, discovering he is the son of Poseidon. Upon arrival, he finds out his only sister, Alice, has gone missing, and no one... Full review inside!
1. the Truth is Revealed—And I Get Slapped

**Hi, guys! Well, here's your present: the first chapter of Percy Jackson and the Lost Hero! If you're new to this fanfic and somewhat interested go and check out the fanfic preceeding this one: Children of Olympus: Poseidon's Daughter. **

**Now, I've already warned you guys that, since I've never done this before, Percy's POV is gonna be OOC. I admit that, and I might've taken some of Rick's ideas, including the title. BUT I DON'T OWN ANYTHING!**

**So, the prologue will be in Alice's POV, and maybe the ending, and the rest will be mostly Percy's. Here's the full summary:**

**_Percy Jackson is swept away into the 'myths' of Ancient Greece, discovering he is the son of Poseidon. But when he arrives at Camp Half-Blood, he finds out his only sister, Alice, has been missing for three days, and everyone's so depressed, they don't know what happened to her, or Percy's captured best friend. It's up to Percy and his friends to save them, even if it means sneaking out of camp and being hunted down like animals. Can he do it?_  
**

* * *

**PROLOGUE:**

_My feet made no sound as I jumped from roof to pavement. There was no noise at all, simply silence. My feet quickened as I ducked into an alley, breathing hard. The urgency of escape was indescribable. _

_Footsteps. They were as light as air, barely audible in the already silent night. But I heard them. And they were following me._

_My arrows hit nothing as they flew, my pursuers oblivious to their existence. The moon shone brightly, though I knew my mistress was not watching. I wished she was. I wished she would rescue me. _

_The footsteps suddenly came more rapidly, urgently, impatiently. My arrows, again, hit nothing in the dark. My hair fanned out as I turned._

_The sound of metal against leather cut through the quiet as I drew my sword, ready to face my attackers. A flash of red, a bark, a whinny. My sword snapped in two. _

_For the first time in years, centuries, I screamed._

* * *

**1/  
**

"Percy!" my mother yelled. "Get up or you're going to be late!"

I groaned. "Five more minutes!" Before Mom could scold me again, a loud crash made me jump.

"No, Samantha, don't touch that! Watch out!" Another crash. "Samantha!"

The door burst open with a bang that would've put a cannon blast to shame. "PERCY! PERCY! PERCY!"

I grunted as my little stepsister Sam leapt onto my chest, bouncing up and down. "WAKE UP! WAKE UP! WAKE UP!"

"Samantha!" I yelled. "Get out!"

She smacked me on the head with her little fist. "GET UP! GET UP! GET UP!" She bounced out the door, screaming, "WAFFLES! MAMA I WANT WAFFLES!"

I groaned again, but got up. By the time I got to the kitchen, my stepdad was rushing out the door and Mom was trying to get Sam to calm down.

"Percy, good. I thought you'd never get up," Mom said, sounding relieved. She pushed an aluminum foil bundle in my hands. "Now, go, before you miss the bus."

I grumbled, but went out the door to catch the bus.

* * *

"He's drooling," Kate Callampoti's voice revolved around my ears. **[Fact check: **_**Callampoti**_** is **_**corn**_** in Greek. Nudge, nudge.]**

"Percy. Percy, dude, wake up." Dominic Parsons' words echoed in my head.

"What…?"

"Wake up! What's up with you today?" Dominic waved his hand over my face, his image blurred.

I swatted it away. "No, Mom," I mumbled. "Sleep…is more important than ponies…" The left side of my head stung as Kate slapped me left to right. I sat up with a start, blinking.

"What the—?" I glared at her. "What was that for?"

Kate rolled her eyes. "You were asleep in your toxic mashed potatoes, Percy. What was I going to do?"

I scowled, wiping the mush off my face. I looked down. "Are they trying to poison us?"

A musical laugh drew my attention. Even before I looked I knew who it was; Caterina Lopez.

I couldn't help it. Caterina's presence was just…intoxicating, I guess. Her thick black hair fell to the middle of her back and her dark eyes shone. The cheerleading uniform she was wearing molded to her body and…

"…hang out sometime?" Caterina was saying.

I mentally slapped myself. "Sure," I said, grinning.

"I really think you should stay away from her," Kate sniffed as Caterina walked away.

"What? Who?" Dominic said, coming out of his trance.

Kate rolled her eyes (she loves doing that to us). "Caterina Lopez."

I should've noticed how Dominic stiffened at the name, like he knew something we didn't, but all I saw was his "Oh, you mean she's super hot?" and his cocky grin. I laughed. Kate punched him in the shoulder.

Suddenly the bell rang, startling me. _What? I've only been asleep for ten minutes…right?_

"Crap," Kate said. "We've got five minutes." We dumped our uneaten, poisonous cafeteria food in the trash and started for the door, only to have Dominic stop us with one arm.

He glared hard at the curved figure standing in the doorway. "Leave them be, Caterina. They have nothing to do with this battle."

I was startled to see Caterina Lopez coming out of the shadows, a glint that could only be described as evil in her eyes. "Please," she spat, her beautiful face twisting with hate. "They have everything to do with this war."

"'War'?" Kate murmured.

Dominic ignored her. "Don't you dare try," he told Caterina. "I'll send you straight back to Tartarus if you even touch one of these kids."

"Kids?" I said, raising an eyebrow.

Caterina frowned. "That may be, Dominic, but you know I'll always come back." She shifted into a weird crouch, baring her teeth.

Dominic scowled. "Not here, Caterina, not now."

She hissed, and changed. She turned white, like the blood had been drained from her veins. Her hair burst into flame. Her teeth turned to fangs. Her eyes went from black to crimson. Her legs were the weirdest part: the left one was a furry thing with a hoof and the other was a bronze copy of a human's.

"Styx!" Dominic yelled, something I'd never heard him say. "Why can't you just leave them _alone!_" He pulled a bronze sword out of nowhere, engraved with the letter H.

The Caterina-monster snarled at the sight of the sword…and charged. Dominic shoved me and Kate out of the way and stabbed at Caterina with his sword. She dodged it with difficulty, her fire-for-hair spitting and her eyes glowing.

"They are mine!" she screamed.

Dominic said nothing. She threw out her arm, and something to my left exploded into flames. Dominic somehow picked up a table and threw it at her. While she was pinned underneath, he skidded over to the fire, threw something inside, and shouted, "Anne Grey, Camp Half-Blood!" He whirled back around to take a fighting stance.

Caterina crawled out from under the table. Her red eyes focused on the distracted Dominic, who was shouting frantically at someone, but switched to me. She leapt toward us. Kate screamed.

I don't exactly remember what happened, but the next thing I knew, I was holding a flagpole that was protruding from Caterina's stomach.

"Oh my god!" Kate screamed.

"Gods!" Dominic yelled from the fire.

Caterina stared at the flagpole in her torso. So did I. With a screech of anger, she threw me to the ground. My head cracked against the tiles and everything went dark.

* * *

I blinked. I was dreaming. I was pretty sure of that. I was sitting in front of a campfire, in a tent. There seemed to be no one else but me.

_Aren't you going to say hello?_

"Oh my god!" I squealed like a total girl and scooted as far away from the fire as possible.

The voice laughed. _Gods,_ it corrected. I stared across from the fire hard, trying to see who was there. All I could make out was the illuminated outline of a face and the glinting of something, but I could tell it was a girl.

_I suppose you are wondering why I brought you here. _The girl sighed. _Caterina has taken your friend to Tartarus with her. You have to go get him. _

She leaned into the firelight, showing me her face for the first time. She was pretty, with long brown hair and green eyes like the sea. Those eyes reminded me of something…

_Me too. _Her eyes grew sad. _They will explain everything. They won't know what happened to me, so you'll have to find out. _

"Why can't you just tell me?" I said, bewildered.

She shook her head._ I'm sorry, brother, but I can only escape their grip for a few moments. They'll drag me back soon. All I have time to say is that you have to come save me. Oh, and don't make him angry please. I've been watching him, and it seems he's taking it a bit hard. _

"Taking what hard?" I asked, a little slow on what she was getting at.

She looked at me funny._ Haven't you been listening, Percy?_

"How do you know my name?"

Her tone turned amused._ How could I not? You _are_ my—_

I felt something trying to pull me out of the tent, cutting her off. The firelight grew harsher, brighter. The girl lost her grip on her cool, business-like behavior; suddenly she went hysterical, jumping to her feet.

_No! _she screamed, fear glinting in her eyes._ No, please! Don't leave me here! Please! Save me! _She screamed the words over and over, like they were the only things she could say. _Please! Save me! Save me!_ _PERCY, SAVE ME! _

There was one last shattering scream and a flash of blinding light as I was pulled back into consciousness. Kate was screaming in my ear, holding my head in her lap.

"Wha—? Kate, shut up!" I said, shooting to my feet. She shut up. "How—how long was I out?" I put a hand on my forehead.

Kate had quickly regained her regal manner, like she always does, but now she looked confused. "Only a minute or two."

"What happened?"

Her expression became even more puzzled. "Caterina, she, well, she kind of exploded into dust, and when I could see again, she and Dominic were gone."

Another explosion. We dived for cover, but we were both showered with white powder anyway. We looked up. Two..._winged horses _landed in front of us. I know, I know, but we'd seen Caterina Lopez turn into a monster so by this point we were ready to believe anything. Or, I was at least.

One of the riders, a guy, jumped off his horse-thing and ran toward us. He grabbed me. "Where is she?" he demanded anxiously.

"Who?" Kate said, bewildered.

He scowled. A girl came up behind him. She put a hand on his shoulder. "Peter, please."

Peter?

The girl turned to us. She had blond hair, blue eyes, and pale skin. Her expression was grim. "Where is your Seeker?"

I blinked. "My what?"

"Your Seeker," she repeated. "Where is Dominic Parsons?"

My eyebrows scrunched together. "Caterina—"

"What!" the girl exclaimed, totally interrupting me. "Caterina was _here?_" She looked at the boy. "That means—"

"I know," he growled.

The girl, her eyes worried, glanced back at us. "Come on," she said. "It's time you went home." She pulled Kate over to one of the horses and pushed her onto it.

The guy, Peter, helped me onto his own horse. He clicked his tongue, and the horse flew through the giant hole in the ceiling. After about five minutes we reached a small, deserted highway.

We all dismounted. Peter patted his horse's back, and both of them flew over the hill. The girl forced a smile at me and held out her hand. "I'm Madyson," she said. "Madyson Grace."

"Percy Jackson," I said.

"I know."

"Come on, already," Peter said, walking up the hill.

"Where are we going?" I asked Madyson.

"Home," she said. "Where else?"

"But this isn't where I live," I said, confused.

"It is now."

I just stared at her. She was grim again. We stopped at the crest of the hill, just behind a huge pine tree, staring down at the bare, grayish field below us. I wrinkled my nose, thinking, _Gross_. Then Madyson pulled me past the tree.

I gasped. The deadened field turned into a huge valley, with emerald trees, glittering streams, and a few structures dotted here and there. It was amazing. We all trudged down the hill, me and Kate gaping at everything as we went.

I got a lot of weird reactions as I followed Madyson through the valley. The kids would glance at me once, then do a double-take, letting whatever what was in their hands drop as they stared at me with weird expressions. One girl even burst into tears and ran out of sight, covering her face with her hands. Another guy dropped a burning coal on his friend's bare foot and the kid didn't even look down. A few girls in dresses peeked out from the trees to stare at me as well, their big eyes growing larger as I walked.

Kate hurried to fall in step beside me. "What's with these people?" she said.

I shrugged. "I have no idea."

Madyson seemed to notice the stares and rushed us along, casting strange glances back at the kids. She pushed me right into a run-down farmhouse, which looked kinda gross to me from the outside. I was so wrong.

To my left, an open living room with couches and armchairs and a cozy fire. To my right, a huge kitchen gleaming with cabinets. At the far wall, a spiral staircase leading to a mysterious door. I wondered absently what was behind it.

I spotted a girl sitting by the fireplace, so close to the flames she should have caught on fire. But she was solemnly prodding the hearth with a long stick, unharmed.

She glanced up at me as I passed and I almost had a heart attack, I was so surprised. Her eyes were glowing bright red. They widened when she saw me, but she quickly controlled her expression and returned her attention to the fire.

"Hey, Maddy." A girl no older than six or seven walked by, wielding a huge bronze sword.

"Hi, Lily," Madyson replied, not even fazed while I gaped.

"Madyson?" a girl called. We all turned to look at the girl who'd spoken. She was pretty, with curly blonde hair and big gray eyes. The eyes fastened on me, and, like everyone else's, they got bigger.

"Will you please take our new cousin to his room?" Madyson asked, her voice strained.

The girl nodded. Her glance was like saying, _Y__ou'd better run if you wanna keep up with me, kid_.

I was right; she headed for the stairs so fast I had to sprint after her. She stopped suddenly and whirled around, her gray eyes probing. "I'm Annabeth," she said. "Annabeth Chase." But her eyes were following the guy Peter instead of me, a little worried. "Who're you?"

I caught the strange note of importance behind the question, but I ignored it and said, "Percy Jackson."

She raised an eyebrow. "Percy?" she repeated. "Percy like Percival?"

I almost frowned. I got that a lot. "No, Percy like _Perseus_."

Her expression was unreadable. Wordlessly she turned back around to head up the stairs. I followed. I was just thinking about why people were staring so much when she stopped so abruptly I ran into her.

"Annabeth." We both turned to look at that guy Peter standing behind us. "Can you be our new cousin's guide?" But his tone didn't sound friendly.

Annabeth nodded.

"What's his problem?" I remarked as soon as he left.

She stared after him, lost in thought. "It's because you remind him of his mission," she murmured. "I don't blame him. You're her spitting image."

"Who?"

She looked down, realizing what she'd said. "Nobody," she said. "Uh, go ahead and unpack. I'm in the room with the owl on it if you need me." She turned to go, but I lurched forward to grab her arm. She whirled on me, her eyes flashing.

"Can you please just tell me what's going on?" I begged. "I have no idea what I'm even doing here."

Her face softened a little. "I almost forgot." She frowned. "You ever heard of the Greek gods?"

It seemed like a totally random question, but I said, "Yeah, sure."

"Wanna know what their biggest mistake is?"

I laughed nervously. "You talk like they're real."

But Annabeth was dead serious. "Us. They love to marry mortals and have kids with them. We're demigods."

I blinked at her.

"Don't even try to deny it," she said. "It all adds up. You've moved around a lot, right? Expelled almost all the time. Your mom struggling to keep you both up."

I stared. "How do you—?"

"It's happened to all of us," she told me. "It's all because of our Olympian parents." She stood straighter, a little proud. "My mother is Athena, goddess of wisdom and battle strategy. See? This is her mark." She pulled up her shirt sleeve to show me a perfect black barn owl on her arm. "Your father is Poseidon, god of the sea. You have a trident, right?"

My head whirled.

"Anne!" A cry from the downstairs.

Annabeth ran to the railing, though it wasn't her name. "What's going on?"

A boy skidded to a stop to talk to her. "A monster just showed up over at the north end of the boundary line," he called hurriedly. "No one knows what it is, and all the Athena kids are all in the woods somewhere."

"No they're not," Annabeth said, and she ran down the steps.

I ran after her. After tripping over the lip of the doorway and running through the valley, we reached a huge Coliseum-looking thing. Next thing I knew, Andromeda was shoving a bundle of something at me.

"What is this?" I asked.

"Armor."

"What!"

"Just put it on!"

I did, tying the leather straps together with difficulty. It was heavy and bulky. I realized Annabeth was pushing a razor-sharp sword into my hands. My fingers wrapped around the leather grip with ease. It felt normal, holding that sword, but I didn't get a chance to think it over.

"Hurry up!" Annabeth ran off again. She stuck her fingers in her mouth and whistled so shrilly I thought my ears would split. Two winged horses immediately landed in front of her. She mounted one with ease and with a single, "Hiya!" she was gone.

Without thinking I did the same. The horse-thing took off from the ground, flying with big black wings. I laughed out loud at the sensation. Normally I was scared to death of flying—on anything.

_What is funny, lord?_

I almost fell off the horse. _You can talk!_ I almost shouted.

The horse seemed a little insulted. _I can _talk_ to you, lord. You are a son of the Sea God, are you not?_

_Um…yeah…_I said, still unsure. _Do you know what's going on? All I heard is a monster is here._

_Yes. Elizia probably got spooked, _Clytemnestra said with a sour note. _Usually she eats something, though luckily it hasn't been any of the campers—yet. Let's just hope she has devoured the monster this time._

I glanced at the scene below. _I doubt it. Land._ She did as I said. I jumped off her back and froze at what I saw.

A lion the size of a tractor was in a vicious fight with a blue dragon. The lion would leap at the dragon and the dragon would coil around in a huge blue mass, avoiding each strike, but the lion never seemed to give up.

"Move!" Annabeth hissed, suddenly appearing next to me.

"What is that?" I said.

She paused for a second. "It's the Nemean lion," she said. "We have to kill it."

"How?" I said, but she was already gone, pulling her helmet low over her face and wielding her sword.

I ran too—but in the opposite direction. I snuck up behind the giant monster as quietly as possible, raising my sword above my head. I chopped with all my might, hacking at the base of its tail. My blade sparked off the gold fur with a loud clang; the lion whirled on me, screeching and opening its huge pink maw to swallow me. I swung my sword again. It leaped at me, landing on my chest.

Something inside me cracked loudly. Pain exploded through my chest. I ground my teeth, staring up in horror as the lion prepared to devour me. Another clang.

The lion turned. I looked up. A boy was standing on its back, trying to stab it in the neck. Screeching shrilly, it threw him down the hill.

"Percy!" I turned my head to see Annabeth standing off to the side, her sword bent in half and her armor smoking, like someone had set her on fire. "You have to stab it in the mouth!"

"What!"

"Stab it in the mouth! That's how Heracles killed it!"

Heracles. Heracles. Oh! _Hercules_. I grabbed the hilt of my sword, ignoring the pain in my chest, and stabbed straight up, right into the lion's mouth.

It wailed in pain, the sword going straight down its throat. It screamed once more, then exploded into gold dust. My adrenaline left. My vision blurred. Something soft fluttered down on me, smelling like dirty fur.

Someone pulled the thing away. I saw two faces floating above mine; a girl, and a dragon. The dragon leaned close, staring at me with its huge yellow eyes.

The girl patted the dragon's scaly skin. "I know," she said, her voice echoing for some reason. "I know."

"Percy, can you hear me?" Annabeth's face came into view, drifting in and out of focus. She held up her hand. "How many fingers?"

"Seventy-one," I groaned, then I passed out.

* * *

I sat up so fast, I knocked down the lamp on my bedside table. It smashed on the ground.

The girl at my side whirled around.

"I have to—I have to—" I tried to get up, but the girl pushed me down.

"Stay, Percy," she told me. "Or you'll ruin my work. Hannah!"

"Coming!" Another girl. She handed the first one a container, then stared at me with wide eyes.

"Hannah!"

"Sorry, sorry!" the girl scurried away.

The first girl began pulling away the bandages strapped around my chest. "Styx," she muttered. "You almost re-fractured your L-2 rib." She opened the container, scooped some weird-looking silver stuff on a Popsicle stick, then started spreading it on my chest. "So, who do you have to save?"

I jerked so hard, the Popsicle stick scratched me. "What?"

She laughed. "You talk in your sleep." She was looking at a computer screen, touching it with her clean fingers now and then. I realized it was an advanced-tech thing, with a touch screen.

"Your vitals are normal." She grabbed a thing that looked like a square tennis racket, holding it over my chest and staring at the computer. "Your ribs have almost healed. That's good, considering we just dunked you in seawater an hour ago."

"But what about—?"

She laughed again. "Percy, you just killed the Nemean lion. You need to rest, okay?"

"Okay?" It came out like a question. I spotted Annabeth Chase in the chair by the bed, dozing. "What's she doing here?"

"Who?" The girl glanced at her. "Oh, she's your guide. She can't leave you until you get the hang of things here. I'm Miranda Bowman by the way. Daughter of Apollo."

"What, is that like a title here or something?" I said.

She smiled. "No, but I _am_ the head healer. I've been training my sister Hannah to be my assistant. She gets a little over-excited sometimes."

"Right. Of course she does. What's that?" I pointed at something gold at the foot of my bed.

Miranda glanced over. "That's the lion's pelt. I wouldn't go showing it off, though, Parker Larcener will have it in her collection the first five minutes she sees it."

"Who?"

Miranda smiled again. "Parker Larcener. She's a master thief. I heard she once stole the Hope diamond from the Smithsonian Museum Complex in broad daylight without anyone seeing her. She's a little crazy. I had to go on a Seeker mission with her once; she jumped off a building."

"What? Was she okay?" I said, a little alarmed.

"Hm? Oh, she was fine," Miranda said nonchalantly. "She had her harness on."

This place was insane.

"You look just like her—except you're a guy," Miranda said, jarring me.

"Who?" I said.

Miranda glanced at me with an alarmed look on her face, like she'd just let something slip and she knew it. "Nobody."

_What was with these people?_

"Well, you're good to go," Miranda said suddenly. "Looks like that seawater patched you up."

"Um…thanks?"

She grinned. "Just sleep, 'kay?"

Didn't have to tell me twice.

* * *

I woke with a start.

The room was dark. I slipped out of bed, clutching my sore chest.

"Where are you going?" The hoarse voice startled me. I turned to see a girl with what looked like third-degree burns on one of the beds, watching me with hard dark eyes.

"No idea," I said, wincing at the pain in my chest.

She frowned. "I'm Ophelia Warring."

"Percy Jackson. Um…what happened?" I said timidly.

"Oh, one of the drakons set me on fire," the girl said. "I can't remember too well, but I think it was Elizia. I guess my dad set her on me."

"Who's your dad?" I said, amazed that a parent could do that.

"Ares. Who's yours?" She eyed me cautiously.

"Poseidon, I guess."

Ophelia snorted. "Great. Like I need another Poseidon kid." She leaned forward suddenly. "Damn. You look just like her." She grimaced. "You'd better run if you wanna eavesdrop on their meeting."

I gave her a funny look before ducking out the door. I was so focused on not breaking anything as I went down the hall that I smacked into a hard surface.

Stifling a groan and rubbing my face, I backed up to see a stone door. It didn't have a doorknob and was engraved with a weird symbol I didn't bother to look at. I turned away.

To my left was your average wooden wall, nothing special about it. But then I heard the voices.

"Don't you know what this means? He could lead us to her. We could…"

I was just putting my ear to the wood when the wall fell away; I crashed to the floor, skidding a couple feet and knocking over a vase.

The voices stopped.

"What was that?"

"Nothing," someone said. "Probably just Parker."

I cursed silently, getting to my feet. Another stone door, engraved with twelve different symbols. I put my hand on the door, trying to listen again, but the stone grew warm against my palm and slid aside.

I found myself in a large room, with a circular table in the center surrounded by twelve chairs...and lots of kids.

It was deathly silent. "Well, well, well," said one of the kids, a big girl with a huge sword. "Look what the cat dragged in."

"Stop it, Joan," another girl scolded. She came forward and helped me to the table. She had the same hair and eyes as Andromeda Guiles, I noticed. The girl put me in the only empty chair, the grandest, I observed. In front of me was a golden trident on the table.

"Well?" Joan demanded. "What do you know, kid?"

I blinked at her.

"Please," another girl said. "What would he know? He's a newbie."

"Stop fighting, will you?" a guy said, rolling his eyes. "Who cares?"

"We all do! We all miss her," said the Andromeda-look-alike. "And I know you do too, Brian, so don't even try to lie."

"Whatever," Brian said, but he didn't seem so secure.

The girl turned to me. "I'm Anne Grey, daughter of Athena. Welcome to the Council."

Joan rolled her eyes. "Let's get on with it, shall we? I'm Joan DeWitt, daughter of Ares," she said to me. "Don't mess with me, punk."

I was just about to retort with something real smart when another kid said, "Lay off, Joan. The kid needs some time to think."

So to give me more to think about, they introduced themselves to me. Tyler Bryce, Brian Bush, Zoë Perish, Mariah Evans, Peter Montgomery, James and Elizabeth Bentley, Elijah Andrews, Travis and Connor Stoll.

"I think he should know the truth," Elizabeth Bentley said suddenly. "We should tell him."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," James, who looked a lot like her, said. "You'll just start crying again."

She flushed. "Shut up."

"I agree," Anne Grey said. "It's only a matter of time before he sees her picture and realizes how alike they look."

"Who?" I said for the millionth time.

"Your sister," they said in unison. "Alice."

* * *

***gasp* Oh, you guys totally knew that was coming. Just wait until you see the rest of it! So, the Council has taken over as 'directors' in Alice's absence, and the whole camp's taking the blow of her disappearance pretty hard. **

**I'll probably get flamed for having Andromeda as a character, but I just thought that name would be better. Do you think I should keep her? I do, I mean, everybody knows about Perseus and Andromeda, so... Go check out the poll in my profile, and vote!**

**Remember: review, review, review! Even 1 makes happy! Mwah, I love you guys!**

**Kisses! -Alice  
**


	2. My Sister, Alice

**Hey, guys! Thanks to all of you who reviewed for me! And a special thumbs-up to vivvy09, who's been doing just that so faithfully. Thanks, kid.**

**Sorry I didn't post a chapter for a few days. I was at an overnight camp. Anyway, moving on:**

**To continue from last chapter- Percy has already defeated the Nemean lion AND made it across the boundary line without getting killed, AND he finds out he has a missing sister, the so-called director of Camp Half-Blood. Everyone's a mess without her to keep things together, and even the Council is getting shaky, especially since no one has a clue what happened to her. What will Percy do? What CAN he do? **

**Wait, why are you asking me questions? Why am I asking me questions? I'm only the author! What? Of course, I know what's gonna happen! I'm the one who wrote it! You know what? Just look down and read the print, okay? **

**Why are you still reading my dumb intro? LOOK DOWN ALREADY! DO IT! **

* * *

**2/**

I shot up from my seat. "I have a sister?" I yelled, right before I buckled from the pain in my chest.

The girl by my right, Zoë, caught me and helped me back to my chair. She looked Goth, with black…everything. Hair, eyes, clothes. She frowned at me. "Gods, you look just like her," she muttered. She looked at Anne Grey. "We have to tell him everything, don't we?"

Anne Grey nodded. "He could help us find her."

"That would be awesome," one of the guys said.

"I'll get it," Mariah Evans said. She stood up and went over to the far wall. She pulled out a large knife, slitting her thumb and pressing it to the wall. The wall slid aside, revealing a safe. She quickly entered the combination, sitting down with a thin file in her hands.

Anne took it from her, opened it, and set a picture on the table. I peered at it. Two girls were sitting side-by-side, one blonde, one brunette. The blond had her arm over the brunette's shoulders and they were laughing.

"That's her, isn't it?" I said, tapping the brunette.

"Yeah, that's her," Joan said. "Funny how people just know who she is by looking once. That other girl, that's Parker Larcener. This was taken just after they got back from robbing the Louvre."

"What happened to her?" I said, thinking it was better I didn't know about the Louvre thing.

Mariah shrugged. "No one knows. She was on a Seeker mission with Peter and Derek and she just…disappeared."

We were all silent. A knock at the stone door. It slid aside. Annabeth Chase was standing there. "Anne, the Poseidon cabin is ready."

"Good," Anne said. She looked at me expectantly.

I got up and went with Annabeth. She whirled around to face me as soon as the door closed. "What's happening with Alice? Did they find her?"

I blinked. "Uh…no…"

She cursed. "Anne and the Council, I think they know, but they won't tell me." She kept walking, right out the door and into the night. I followed after her, but had to stifle a girly shriek when I saw what was outside.

"What is _that?_" I asked Annabeth, staring at the huge, furry animal the size of a bulldozer snoring just outside the door.

She glanced back. "That's Castor," she murmured. "Alice's wolf."

"She had a _wolf?_" I said.

Annabeth looked like I just pulled the pin out of a grenade. _"Has," _she said. "_Has_ a wolf."

I glanced down, feeling the awkward moment coming on, but she brushed it off almost as soon as it came. "She _is _the lieutenant of Artemis. It's kind of a requirement."

"Lieutenant of—?"

"Come on, Percy. The group of girls that hunts with Artemis for eternity? Your sister is the head, except for Artemis. She wasn't too happy when Alice disappeared, you know, but she refused to replace her."

A winged horse landed next to the wolf. It saw me and trampled over as fast as it could. Andromeda's eyes widened. "Linguini never moves from there," she said.

"Linguini?"

"Alice's pegasus," she said impatiently. "They miss her so much they never move from that spot."

_Yo, lord, where's Mrs. Boss? _the pegasus asked.

_Sorry, _I stammered_. I don't—_

_Mrs. Boss! Where's Mrs. Boss?_

"He doesn't know, Linguini," Annabeth cut in. The pegasus wilted, just like that. It went back to its 'spot'.

"How did you know what he was saying?" I asked. "Do you speak horse?"

"No," she answered. "It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what he wants to know. He loves her."

"Everyone loves her," I said, watching them. "It's almost like I love her too, even though I've only met her once."

Annabeth whirled to face me. "You met her? When? Where? How?"

I blinked. "Uh…just this morning. At school."

"How?" she demanded again.

"I passed out, and she was in my dream," I said uneasily.

"Anything else?" She seemed jittery.

"No."

Annabeth began to pace. "What did she do?"

"She talked to me," I said. "She said I had to save both her and Dominic, but she didn't say where she was, or who had her. She kept saying that she 'could only escape for a second'."

Annabeth's eyes got huge, but she didn't say anything. Instead she turned on her heel and walked away. I ran after her. We passed a roaring orange campfire, and a garden, then we were standing in a U-shape of twelve cabins, each one different than the one before it. Annabeth didn't hesitate; she dragged me to the third one on the right and pushed me in.

I gaped. It was full of blue and white, with a long wall of windows and lots of bunks. The windows gave a perfect view of the ocean; I walked over in a daze to stare, dropping my stuff on the first bunk I saw.

"Uh…That's _her_ bed," Annabeth said uncomfortably, moving my backpack to the next bunk.

I noticed everything about my sister's room was neat as a pin; a carefully folded set of clothes at the foot of the bed, the sheets creased perfectly, the floor spotless. I picked up a picture frame on the nightstand; it was well-kept, dusted to perfection. I peered at it.

Eight people were on the hill by the outskirts of camp, four of them in the pine tree, four on the ground.

I recognized _her_ immediately. She was sitting on a branch, mid-laugh. She wore a strange outfit: a loose-fitting tunic, black boots, sword at her side, quiver on her back, a silver crown in her hair.

A girl I didn't know was hanging just above my sister, her blond ponytail swinging and her upside-down grin blinding. Another girl I recognized as a young Anne Grey was sitting on a branch kind of below-beside my sister, smiling happily. A younger Mariah Evans was standing on the highest branch, her arms thrown out like she owned the world. A young Zoë Perish was leaning against the tree trunk, arms crossed and the smallest smile in the world on her lips. A strange guy was sitting at the opposite side of the tree, blowing on reed pipes.

I realized he was a goat from the waist down, hooves, fur and all. A young Peter Montgomery was standing five feet from the rest of them, Joan DeWitt leaning her elbow on his shoulder and twirling a sword in her hand.

"Get some sleep," Annabeth told me, pulling me from my sister's belongings. "Tomorrow is your first official day as a half-blood."

When I woke up in the morning, my chest felt fine. I glanced at the clock: 7:15. The whole room smelled like sea breeze. I got up and dressed, and turned to find a scroll on my bunk. I unrolled it:

**Camp Half-Blood****/****Camper Name: Percy Jackson/Parent: Poseidon**

**Time/****Class/****Instructor/**

**7:30/ Breakfast & Inspection/ Penelope Miller**

**8:00-9:00/ Sword & Shield/ Joan DeWitt**

**9:00-10:00/ Ancient Greek/ Anne Grey **

**10:00-12:00/ FREE CHOICE:**

*** Healing/ Miranda Bowman**

*** Foot-racing/ Cassiopeia & Daphne**

*** Forging/ Elijah Andrews**

**12:00/ Lunch**

**1:00-2:00/ Archery/ Emily Archer**

**2:00-3:30/ Pegasus Riding/ Elizabeth Bentley **

**8:00/ Capture the Flag**

**Dinner Will Be Served 7:00 Sharp *DO NOT BE LATE***

"Morning," someone said. I turned to see a girl with wheat-colored hair and a good tan, smiling at me. "I'm Penelope Miller." She surveyed the room with appreciation. "Nice job. Five out of five."

"Thanks," I said, even though I didn't do anything.

"Sure." Penelope checked her watch. "Hurry up. You've got five minutes before they blow the conch."

I had no idea what she was talking about, but I went into the hall, crowded with kids.

Annabeth came next to me. "Ready for breakfast?"

"Uh…yes?"

Her expression was unreadable once again, but before she could move, someone punched her. "Punch Tag! You're it!"

"James!" she yelled. "Get back here!" She ran off into the crowd, waving her fist. "No tag backs!" the someone screeched as she caught up with them.

I followed everyone to a thing that looked like a stereotypical Greek temple—without a roof. There were twelve tables, each one different. I stood there for a second, unsure, when somebody nudged me.

I looked up to see a black-haired boy with white teeth and violet eyes. "That's your table, kid," he told me, pointing. "You _are_ Percy Jackson, right?"

I nodded. "Yeah. Nice to meet you."

"I'm Phäethon Staphili," he said, shaking my hand. "But everyone just calls me Tony." **[Fact check: **_**Staphili**_** means **_**grapes**_** in Greek. Seriously, I checked. :D]**

"Cool," I said.

"Lemme see your schedule," he said. "Maybe we'll have some classes together."

I was just about to hand it to him when someone blew a conch shell. Tony waved me off. "We'll talk after breakfast." He sat down with a bunch of other black-haired, violet-eyed kids, laughing.

I sat at the table, decorated with a trident in the center. The golden plate and crystal glass in front of me glittered in the sunlight. I had no idea what to do. "I wish I could have pancakes," I muttered. I jumped when a stack of pancakes appeared on my plate, covered in syrup. I gaped.

"Poseidon," someone said suddenly. I blinked.

"Put some of your food in the fire," someone else hissed.

I got up with my pancakes and dropped the first one in the fire. I don't know what came over me; "Poseidon," I muttered, then I sat back down. My stomach growled. I picked up my fork.

I swear I was halfway through my pancakes before I remembered to breathe. I downed my goblet of orange juice, licking my lips.

Someone blew the conch again. The kids started leaving the pavilion in groups, talking and laughing. I suddenly felt lonely.

"Hey, kid. Where's your schedule?" I turned to see Tony Staphili behind me, grinning.

I handed it to him. "Cool," he said. "We've got Ancient Greek and Pegasus Riding together." Tony handed it back. He pointed at a girl in armor, walking off. "That's your instructor for first hour. She'll take you to the arena." He ran away with a wave of his hand.

I followed his instructions. It took me a second to realize the girl in armor was Joan DeWitt. She frowned at me. "Come with me, punk," she said.

Sword & Shield was one of the hardest things I'd ever done. I got paired with a guy named Chris Sonnet, who completely kicked my butt. Honestly, he was just about to put his sword to my neck when I panicked. I grabbed his ankle and pulled, bringing him to the dirt. I planted my foot on his chest and pointed my sword at his face.

Joan DeWitt looked at me funny while fending off a couple of kids at the same time. "Hmm," she murmured. "I haven't seen something like that since…" She trailed off, but I knew who she meant.

Ancient Greek wasn't so hard. According to my 'teacher' Anne Grey, all demigods knew Ancient Greek naturally, so she pushed me onto Greek 'mythology' instead. My head was swimming with stories of Selene and the shepherd and Phäethon and the sun chariot and Cronus barfing up babies that I barely made it out the door.

Tony Staphili was waiting for me. "Hi again," he grinned. "Let's go foot-racing with the nymphs, huh?"

I blinked. I was in no mood to run. "Why?"

"'Cause they're all super-hot," he grinned again. "Come on!"

I groaned, but let him drag me into the forest. The teachers were Cassiopeia and Daphne, dryads. They were pretty, I guess, but I made the wrong move underestimating them; they left me and Tony in the dust.

"It's fine, Percy," Cassiopeia told me after I collapsed at the finish line. "We've had centuries of practice." That didn't make me feel better. I mean, come on, I was slower than a _tree_.

Tony seemed fine. "Wanna spend the next half an hour annoying Miranda Bowman, or setting stuff on fire in the forges?"

I shrugged. He grinned again. "Annoying Miranda it is."

* * *

It was the end of lunch. I was just heading with Tony somewhere when I heard "Percy!" and turned just in time to get attacked by Kate.

"Kate," I said after she released me from a bear-hug. "I haven't seen you since—"

"I know," she said. "Have they told you about—?"

"Yo! Percy!" Tony called. "Come on or we'll be late!"

I glanced back at Kate in apology. "Sorry."

Her eyes widened a little. "Oh! No, it's okay. Go ahead. I'll see you later."

Just as I caught up with Tony he grinned at me and took off, yelling, "You'll never beat me there!"

I ran after him, shouting, "Cheater!"

He turned halfway around to stick his tongue out at me, then promptly ran into a tree.

"Ha!" I called back, right before falling into a creek.

"Ha-ha!" Tony shouted mockingly, running past me. I jumped out of the water with new energy and ran after him faster than I'd ever run before, laughing.

By the time we got to the arena, Tony was covered in leaves and had a huge bump in the middle of his forehead; I was fine, without a scratch.

"I win," I singsonged.

"You win…this time…Jackson," he panted.

"Morning, idiots," a girl said without looking up as she walked past us with a clipboard.

"Morning, Emily," Tony grinned. Even with her back turned we could tell she was rolling her eyes. "That's Emily Archer."

I blinked at the dreamy tone. I punched him in the shoulder. "Dude! You _so_ like her."

He glared at me, flushing. "Geez, say it a little louder, why don't you?"

I laughed.

The rest of Archery wasn't so bad, even though I got in trouble for laughing at Tony most of the time. At least I didn't accidently kill anyone with my bad shooting, though a pegasus _was_ extremely annoyed to find one of my arrows in its butt.

Funny thing, at Pegasus Riding I got paired with the exact same pegasus that had suffered my bad aim. He swore at me in four different languages when I tried to mount him, so that class was a failure.

Dinner was the same as breakfast; after everyone had given a portion I wolfed down every bite, almost forgetting to breathe. Then I saw Tony grinning at me from across the pavilion. _It's time_, he mouthed. _What? _I thought. _Oh, yeah._

Capture the Flag. Camp Half-Blood's version is way better than the mortals—but I didn't know it at the time.

Tony was dragging me over to the woods, grinning. "It's awesome when you're playing it for the first time," he declared.

"Um, okay?"

Everyone was standing in a crowd, their voices blending into a buzz. It took me a second to realize they were standing around a marble statue, waiting. The statue was in the shape of a beautiful woman in a Greek dress, holding a dove on her arm and a swan milling at her feet. I watched in amazement as a boy placed his hand on the statue's arm and a silver line spread from both sides of the base, creating a boundary line.

"Ahem."

Everyone turned to see a blond girl of about fourteen climbing onto a large boulder. "Rules," she called. "Blue team: Poseidon, Zeus, Hades, Athena, and Dionysus. Red team: Ares, Aphrodite, Demeter, Apollo, Hephaestus, and Hermes. All magical weapons are allowed. Maiming or killing will be met with severe punishment as well as probable spontaneous combustion."

"What?" I muttered to Tony.

"She means that if we kill anyone we'll get blasted to Tartarus," he muttered back.

"Arm yourselves!" the girl shouted. At her words, an array of armor and weapons appeared in front of us. We all put on the heavy, hot armor and plumed helmets.

"Hey Hannah!" somebody yelled, pausing all movement. "The teams aren't even!"

"Shut up, Connor," the girl Hannah yelled back. "Don't diss the generator!" She jumped off the boulder lightly.

Tony was already in his armor by the time I got my breastplate tied. "Okay, that means we have you, Zoë Perish, Mariah Evans, Anne Grey and her super-braniac siblings, and me and my awesome siblings."

"Connor was right," I joked. "The teams aren't even."

Tony grinned, then ran off into the trees, saying he was going to find somebody I didn't know. I turned around, grinning, only to freeze at the sight of two girls in battle armor.

"Percy," said Mariah Evans. "We need to talk."

They dragged me away.

"Listen," Zoë Perish said. "If you get any vibes about your sister, any at all, you gotta tell us, 'cause we're coming on any rescue mission you got in mind, no matter how crappy it is."

Mariah raised her eyebrows. "Really? You hate Alice, Zoë."

"Yeah, but this place sucks without her, so we gotta get her back," Zoë said, rolling her eyes.

"You hate my sister?" I asked. "Why?"

Zoë turned her intense black glare on me. "'Cause she's pompous and full of herself, okay?"

Mariah's eyebrows threatened to fly off her forehead. "Alice isn't pompous," she countered. "She's one of the most down-to-earth people I know. And she saved your life twice, so I wouldn't be talking."

Zoë flushed. "Whatever."

A conch horn. Mariah immediately pulled something from her belt and twirled it in her fingers until she was holding a two-foot-long ivory staff, entwined with silver streaks. Zoë produced something gold from her pocket; it glowed and changed into a long gold-scaled whip.

"Time to go," Zoë grinned. She shook hands with Mariah. "Ready to kick some red-plumed monkey-ass, cousin?"

Mariah smiled maliciously. "You bet your ass I am."

Zoë melted into the shadows and Mariah vanished into the trees, leaving me speechless.

"Percy."

I jumped a foot in the air at the voice, turning to see Annabeth Chase, holding a Yankees cap like she'd just taken it off her head.

"You scared the hell outta me!" I said.

She didn't smile. "What are you doing here?" she asked me. "The game's already started."

"Nothing," I said quickly.

Annabeth gave me a funny look, but she just shrugged, and did something I never thought I would see her do. She handed me her hat.

I stared at her in amazement, even though I still had no idea what was so special about the hat. She shrugged again. "It's your head they want, not mine. Joan DeWitt loves fresh meat." She drew her sword and ran off into the trees.

I hesitantly put the cap on my head. I looked down. My body was gone, but I didn't feel any different. I grinned and headed for the creek. I passed a dozen kids ready to kill whatever crossed and they didn't see me.

After strolling through the forest confidently, whispering voices made me freeze. My ears seemed to perk, listening harder.

"…sure they won't find the flag?" someone was saying.

"Of course not," someone else said, voices hushed. "We hid the flag at Electra's spring, remember? They're all too scared to look over there, and we'll take them down if they do find it."

Could they really have just told me where the flag was? I clenched my fists in invisible victory, then set off for Electra's spring.

According to Tony, who's been here for two years, there were dozens of nymphs living in the woods at camp, but there were only like, twelve I needed to worry about: Daphne, Cassiopeia, Althea, Ariadne, Harmonia, Electra, Io, Europa, Leda, and Atalanta.

Tony told me dryads were really touchy about people getting too close to their trees, especially Atalanta and Daphne. Harmonia and Io and Althea and Ariadne were pretty laid-back, he said, but the rest were just…ugh. (Just for the record, these are _Tony's_ words, not mine.)

Electra was the worst. I guess the real Electra from ancient Greece was a princess of Mycenae or something who killed her mother for murdering her father. Electra the naiad was just as bad, I'd heard, except maybe not as murderous.

Anyway, pretty soon I heard the bubbling of water and spotted the flapping of the blood-red flag. I crept into the small clearing silently, only to be startled by rustling in the bushes. I panicked. I snatched the flag from its small dirt mound and ran into the trees, making a beeline for the boundary line.

"Hey!" someone yelled, probably seeing the non-invisible flag I was carrying. Annabeth's Yankees cap started to fall off my head; I stuffed it in my pocket, thinking that being visible during a deadly game of Capture the Flag was better than Andromeda mad at me for losing her hat.

Footsteps. Someone was catching up to me. My legs felt like they were on fire, but I went faster. Just as that someone's hand closed around my left ankle, my right foot stepped over the line.

I fell flat on my face. Something cracked and pain shot through my nose, but I didn't care. I jumped right back up, grinning like a fool and holding the flag high.

A wave of happy kids came and heaved me onto their shoulders, chanting my name over and over.

My heart soared.

* * *

**Can Percy dare to relax, considering the life he has now? Will I ever tell you guys what happened to Alice? Will there be more action in the next chapter? Click the "Next" button below to find out now!**

**P.S. Since the talk-show questions are over, I can kind of apologize for how cheesy and overused the ending of this chapter was. But hey, it's kind of necessary, right? In almost every fanfic you read, there's Capture the Flag and Percy winning it, so shut your trap, I'm the author. Besides, what could you do? Hunt me down using my IP address? Yeah, right!**

**Luv you guys!**

**Kisses! -Alice**


	3. My Trip to a Freaking Hellhole

**Hi again! Okay, since my passive-agressive impatience kicked in about five seconds ago, I'm gonna give you a present: chapter 3! So, go ahead and enjoy!**

* * *

**3/**

Two days after Capture the Flag, and my nose still hurt. It turns out it was Devon Harding, son of Ares, who'd tripped me. Not that I cared. I had no idea who that was.

I was walking with Tony to go annoy Hannah Duran in the infirmary (which sounds weird, but it's actually pretty fun) when Miranda Bowman came barreling out the door.

She took one look at me and stopped in her tracks, grabbing my chin and turning my face from left to right. "Small hairline fracture across the olfactorius," she muttered to herself. "Not disfiguring. This might hurt a little 'kay?"

I was about to ask her what she was talking about when she pinched the bridge of my nose and yanked it to one side, making a small pop.

"OW!" I pulled away from her, holding my nose. "A little?" I demanded.

Miranda ignored me, peering at my nose. "Put a little ice on it and maybe some seawater for the next twenty-four hours and you won't look like Owen Wilson," she told me. Then she hurried away, like she hadn't just broken my nose.

"What did she do to my nose?" I complained. "It feels like she broke it!"

Tony laughed. "Dude, you're lucky she even gave you a warning. She pops in dislocated knees and shoulders every day." He moved my hand to look at my nose. "It's fine, just a little red."

"Let's just go somewhere else," I grumbled. "I don't want her to come near my face again."

He grinned. "Cool. Let's go eavesdrop on the Seeker's assigning!"

Before I could ask him what a Seeker was he dragged me to a room just down the hall, with a plaque labeled Seeker's Room. We peeked in the door.

It was huge. There was a closet running the length of the wall in the back, and a flatscreen TV mounted on the opposite wall. The room was filled with kids, all staring at the screen.

Someone pulled a lever sticking out of a whirring machine on the floor, and the screen lit up with names. The room was silent.

"That can't be right," Joan DeWitt's voice wasn't hard to recognize.

Anne Grey stepped forward. "We can't ignore the generator. Percy Jackson, Mariah Evans, Zoë Perish," she called. "You three are assigned to go to Egypt and collect our…allies, the Blairs."

"Come on, Percy," a voice said in my ear, making me jump. Two hands grabbed my elbows.

Mariah Evans and Zoë Perish dragged me from the room without another word, their faces grim. The room was silent until the door closed behind us.

"What's going on?" I asked for what seemed like the millionth time in the past few days. "What's this about?"

Mariah and Zoë looked at each other, having a silent argument with their eyes. Judging by their combined scowling and teeth grounding, Mariah was winning.

"I'll get it," Zoë yielded finally. She went back inside.

Mariah turned her scary-electric-blue eyes on me. "Listen, Percy, this trip is guaranteed to be dangerous. Deadly, even. The three of us together is gonna bring trouble."

I blinked at her. "I'm so confused right now," I began, but Zoë's arrival interrupted me.

"Time to go," she announced as if I knew what she was talking about.

Mariah's mouth lapsed into a frown. "Fine." They dragged me to the boundary line, ignoring all my demands for explanations.

"Do you have it?" Mariah said suddenly.

Zoë pulled something from her pocket; it was a battered watch. "Courtesy of Parker," she grinned.

"How much did it cost you?"

She frowned. "Ten drachmas."

Mariah let out a laugh. "Her price has gone up."

Zoë grumbled something under her breath. I don't think I wanted to know what it was. She gave Mariah the watch, putting her hand on Mariah's shoulder. Mariah grabbed my arm.

I was about to ask what a raggedy old watch would do when Mariah slammed her hand down on the face. Everything disappeared, and suddenly we were standing in what looked like a fish market.

"Are we in the right place?" Zoë asked.

Mariah glared at her. "I don't know," she said. "I _think_ we're here."

"Well, where is it?" Zoë demanded.

Mariah's glare looked like it could set Zoë on fire. "Peter's damn watch is malfunctioning again. I'm pretty sure we're _just outside_ Aswan." She fiddled with the watch, then scowled and threw her hands up. "I give up. We're gonna have to walk."

"Let's go, then," Zoë turned and walked away.

"Can you explain what's going on now?" I said to Mariah as we started walking.

She glanced at me. "We're on one of the most important Seeker missions ever," she said finally. "You actually weren't supposed to come; you're a newbie."

"Thanks," I said sarcastically.

She cracked a small smile. "I just mean that you're inexperienced. You're a perfect target."

We went quiet. After walking a lot and sweating, she said, "I almost forgot. Here," she dug something from her pocket and gave it to me.

I looked down. It was a ballpoint pen. "What's this?"

"It's a present from your dad," Mariah said, sounding bored. "Poseidon gave it to me a couple years back and told me to save it for the right person. That's obviously you."

"What am I supposed to do with a pen?"

She laughed. "You'll see. We all have a magical weapon like yours," she went on. "I have my staff, Zoë has her whip, you have your sword, Alice has her…" she trailed off.

"Has her what?" I said after a moment of awkward silence.

"Um, her bow. Your dad gave her an enchanted bracelet when she first became a Hunter. It switches to her bow whenever she taps it."

"They all change into weapons?" I steered the conversation away from my missing sister.

Mariah seemed grateful, but she didn't say anything. "Yeah. This," she pulled her baton from her belt, "changes into my staff when I do this." She twirled it like an expert cheerleader, until she was holding the staff I'd seen earlier.

"What about Zoë's?" I said, glancing her way.

"Zoë's MP3 Player changes to her whip, Kolasi," she said.

"'Hell'?" I translated. "She named her whip Hell?"

Mariah shook her head. "No, the Furies did. They gave it to her when she turned fourteen, specially made." She shuddered. "You don't want to feel it."

"What about the watch thingy?" I said.

"Oh this? It's Peter Montgomery's. We paid Parker Larcener to steal it for us," Mariah said nonchalantly. "She's the camp thief. All the Hermes kids have some kind of specialty. Robb and Connor are pranksters, Parker's a thief, Phoebe's a grifter and Eddie's the mastermind for all their plans."

"Grifter?" I said.

"Yeah…look, it's too complicated to explain. If you have a couple of spare hours, go ask Phoebe."

"Hurry up!" Zoë called suddenly. "I can see it!"

We hurried up.

Suddenly something jumped in front of us out of nowhere, casting a huge shadow. Mariah dived out of the way. I was frozen.

"Oh shit!" Zoë shrieked. "Hellhound!"

"Percy!" Mariah screamed. "Your sword!"

Sword, sword. What sword? _Oh_. _That_ sword. I pulled the ballpoint pen from my pocket and yanked off the cap. The pen began to lengthen in my hand and the next thing I knew I was holding a huge bronze sword.

The monster snarled at me. It seemed to have a black dog's body, but the size of a bulldozer, with huge fangs and glowing red eyes.

Behind the hellhound I spotted Zoë getting to her feet, a murderous look on her face, her golden-scaled whip, Kolasi, emerging in her hands. I caught a glimpse of Mariah in the corner of my eye, yanking her baton from her belt and twirling it wildly until her staff formed in her palm.

"_Astrapi! Epitychia!"_ Mariah cried in Ancient Greek. A long, jagged bolt of lightening struck her staff, illuminating her with crackling light. The light shot from her staff and hit the hellhound. It screamed in rage, charging at her.

Zoë's whip lashed around its scaly green neck, tearing open a gash so bloody it made me want to throw up. The hellhound wheeled on her, shrieking so loudly my ears wanted to split open.

My body unfroze. My grip tightened on my sword's handle. I ran forward and stabbed the hellhound in the side, my blade going in to the hilt. The monster screamed in pain, whirling around—with me on its back. I hung onto my sword hilt for dear life, praying I wouldn't die.

"Zoë!" I heard Mariah yell over the whooshing of the air. "Lash it down!"

The slapping of Zoë's whip. The hellhound's scream. I was thrown to the ground as my sword slid out of the monster's side, blood spewing everywhere. Zoë's whip was wrapped around the serpopard's neck as she struggled to bring it down. Mariah was using her staff to zap the monster again and again, until it finally exploded into red dust.

"Whew," Zoë said, her whip vanishing into a small MP3 Player which she slipped into her pocket. She swiped her hand across her sweaty forehead. "I hate it here."

"Well said, cousin," Mariah agreed, latching her baton to her belt in one move.

"Let's go," I sighed, capping my sword and putting it in my pocket.

"Nice job with Riptide," Zoë congratulated.

"Riptide?" I repeated.

"You know, your sword," she said. "That's its name, isn't it?"

"I guess so…"

Once inside the city, Mariah pulled us into an alley. "We're looking for a new kid. Clio Smith."

* * *

**Now, just a hint: next chapter brings more action, and a way better plot than this one, like, I don't know...an exclusive glimpse into our pal Alice's secret past? Check back soon to find out!**

**Kisses! -Alice**


	4. An Awesome New Life—Up Until Now

**Kay, show of hands: How many of you wanna see some secret scenes from Alice's past? That's what I thought. So, there are about...eh, four segments from Alice's mortal life, set in around 1527, Colonial America. Oops, I've already said too much. If you wanna know, start reading. **

**Oh, almost forgot. Disclaimer: I own nothing but my own characters, ideas, and places. The rest belong to Rick.**

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**4/**

When we got back from wherever we went (Mariah and Zoë still won't tell me), I was exhausted. I crashed on my bunk immediately, only to wake up a few minutes later to two Hermes kids in my cabin.

"...Ditto, bro. Oh! I almost forgot. Parker said she'd do that favor for us!"

His brother (obviously they were twins) jumped up and down. "Really! YES! For how much?"

"Twenty drachmas!"

They squealed and jumped up and down so fast I thought they would collapse from a heart attack.

"Who are you?" I demanded. "Get out!"

Travis and Connor stopped jumping and turned to me, identical crooked grins on their faces.

"So, Percy Jackson—" started one.

"—son of Poseidon, eh?" finished the other. "Ya likin' Camp Half-Blood?"

Before I could answer a deafening bang came from the outside, followed by smoke and girls shrieking. Travis and Connor (I still can't figure them out to this day) dissolved into unstoppable snickering.

"TRAVIS! CONNOR!" someone screamed. The twins squealed in fear and dived out the window, followed by a furious girl covered in chocolate pudding.

ONE DAY LATER

_They'll never find me,_ I thought.

Tony, me, the Stolls, a few nymphs, and a reluctant Annabeth Chase were playing demigod Hide-and-Seek. It sounds like a baby game, but it's actually pretty fun, when you think about it.

Travis and Connor were "it", so it would take a while for them to search all over camp. Knowing them, they would've checked the beach for me first. I shook my head. _Idiots_.

I was hiding in the pine tree on the boundary line on Half-Blood Hill, and I knew for a fact that Tony was hiding in the Hermes room. Annabeth…she would be the last and the hardest one to find. If I had to guess? The armor shed. She liked it in there, but Travis and Connor aren't smart enough to know that.

A scream instantly caught my attention. My eyes zeroed in on two monsters attacking a single figure. It looked like the monsters were winning.

I uncapped Riptide and ran toward them, a chill going through my heart when I recognized the monsters. Fire-for-hair, bloodless skin, red eyes, fangs, two weird legs.

"Hey! Uglies!" I screamed without thinking. The demons turned toward me, fangs bared.

The kid they were chasing cowered into the dirt, staring at me with wide, electric blue eyes. One demon screeched and lunged. She was dust in a single swipe of my sword. The other retreated a couple of steps, then stood straight and lifted her hideous face to the sky. A cloud of black smoke engulfed her, smelling of sulfur, then she was gone.

I stowed Riptide in my pocket, holding out one hand to help the poor kid up. Once he did, I blinked. He looked exactly like Mariah Evans, except he was a guy.

"What're you staring at?" he asked.

I shook myself. "Nothing. You just…look like someone I know," I said quickly. "Come on." Together we started toward the boundary line. "I'm Percy, by the way," I said. "Percy Jackson."

"Jason Ashby," the kid replied. We shook hands.

"Welcome to Camp Half-Blood," I said as we crossed the line. "Welcome to your new home."

"New home?" he said.

I nodded. "This is where you'll be living from now on. I'm a newbie too, so—"

"Wait a second, why am I here?"

I checked his arm. See, here at Camp Half-Blood, everyone is marked by their parents. I've got a black trident on my left arm. Tony's got a grape vine, Robb and Connor have caduceus's and so on. Geddit?

This kid had a lightning bolt. Yep. Definitely Mariah Evans's brother.

"It's 'cause you're like me," I said, answering the kid's question. "You're like us."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

I steered him toward the woods. "You know all those stories about the Greek gods and stuff?"

"Sure," Jason shrugged.

"They're real," I said, deciding to just come out and say it. "They're our parents."

Jason stared at me, then let out a nervous laugh. "You're messing with me."

"I wish," I said. "But it's true."

He frowned. "Prove it."

"Fine," I retorted. I dragged him over to the arena, where I knew Mariah was thunderbolt-target-practicing. I knew her well enough (even though it had only been a few days since I met her) that she only did that when she was frustrated about something, so she could take out her anger on whatever poor target board that was available.

When Jason and me walked into the arena, she was commanding something in Greek to the sky. A bolt of lightning hit her staff, then the target, making a perfect hole in the center. Jason flinched. She twirled the staff back into baton form, blowing on the smoking end.

"Show off!" I called.

She turned. And grinned. "Hey, Percy."

The armor closet behind her opened, and out came Annabeth Chase, her blonde hair mussed and her face flushed. "Percy!" she called. "Did they find you?"

"No," I said. "Duty called."

"Really? Did he want his brain back?"

I stuck my tongue out at her. Footsteps from outside, and Connor's distinctive laugh, which people have often described as a whale choking.

"Crap!" Andromeda disappeared into the closet.

"Hey, guys, have you seen Beth?" Travis said as he walked in. (That's what they call Annabeth just to annoy her.) He took one glance at me, then Connor said, as if reading his brother's mind, "Duty called, huh?"

"Yep," I said.

They turned to Mariah for answers.

"No," Mariah said with a perfectly straight face. "I haven't seen Andromeda since she inspected my room this morning."

Travis and Connor made identical scowling faces. "She's the worst!" Travis complained.

"Phoebe left one of her grifting dresses on the floor and good ol' Beth docked us!" Connor groaned. "And last time? She found one of Parker's diamond necklaces hidden in her bed!"

I had to dissolve in a fit of coughing to keep from laughing at the thought of Annabeth's face as she eavesdropped on them. Travis and Connor gave me a weird look, but they let it go. "Okay, then," Travis said. "We gotta go check for Tony in the woods. Maybe Electra saw him."

"Cheaters!" I yelled after them. They turned to give me identical crooked grins before disappearing.

"Percy, who's this?" Mariah's tone implied she already knew, but I told her anyway.

"Jason Ashby," I said. "Your new brother."

Mariah's expression was unreadable. "That's not good," she said. She glanced at Jason. "Who's your mother?"

He seemed taken aback, but he said, "Cindy Crawford—"

"What was she? Model? Singer?" Mariah pressed.

"Actress," Jason said, surprised.

Mariah snorted. "Typical dad." Lightning flashed briefly, but Mariah just rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, yeah."

"What's this all about?" Jason asked. "I still don't know why I'm here."

Mariah glanced at me. "You didn't explain?"

I shrugged. "I tried to. He didn't believe me."

"My turn," she said. She turned to Jason. "You moved around a lot, right? Got expelled from almost everywhere 'cause something weird happens and you're the one who gets blamed. Your single mom tries to take care of you, maybe even marries somebody gross to protect you in ways you can't imagine. Am I on the right track, kid?"

Jason blinked at her. "How…how did you—?"

"It happens to all of us," I said. "I've only been here for a few days and I still think I'm going crazy."

"You might be going crazy, but this is definitely real," Mariah said. Her hand drifted to her belt absently, where her baton was swinging. "Dad is up there right now, watching us. He's not too happy either. I don't think Percy was supposed to find you."

"Dad?" Jason repeated. "I've never met my dad."

"I have," Mariah and I answered at the same time. Mariah gave me a look, and I backed off. She continued, "Our dad is Zeus, king of the gods and lord of the sky."

"Mine is Poseidon," I said. "God of the seas."

Jason looked from me to Mariah. "This is crazy."

"Is it?" Mariah said. "The Greek gods' favorite thing to do is fall in love with mortals and have kids with them. Our dad loves doing that."

"Oh my gods," I said. "I just realized you're named after Jason of Iolkos."

They stared at me. "Who?" Jason said.

"Jason, the one who got the Golden Fleece?" I said.

"Nerd," Mariah smirked.

I held up my hands. "Sorry, I've been spending too much time around the Athena kids. I lost my normal, dumb, self for a second."

"Hey!" a voice came from the closet. The door opened and closed by itself, then Annabeth shimmered into view, glaring. She was holding her Yankees cap in her left hand. She looked around. "Have Travis and Connor given up yet?"

"No," we responded.

"Great," she muttered. "I'm going back to the house." She whipped on her hat, and she was gone.

Jason was blinking. Mariah sighed. "Ugh, you're so slow. Come on." She grabbed Jason's hand and dragged him away, probably to see the Zeus room

* * *

Dreams. They suck. I was having a nightmare, as usual. Up until now, I'd been having a pretty good day. I'd passed inspection for once, managed not to get maimed during Sword & Shield, annoyed the hell out of Miranda Bowman and Hannah Duran, and even helped my team win at Capture the Flag. Great day. Until I got into bed.

I was actually having a dream about my sister—again. She snuck into my head at night sometimes, to talk to me. She visited rarely, but it was still good to see her, even though I didn't know her.

_How are things at camp? _she would ask. _Are Travis and Connor still in their pudding faze?_

"Things are great," I'd say. "And just yesterday a pudding bomb exploded in the Athena room."

During each visit I'd ask her if she knew who was holding her. Each time she would say yes. Each time I'd try to get her to tell me who, and each time, just as she opened her mouth to tell me, she would disappear in a blinding flash of light and I would wake up at three in the morning, covered in cold sweat and shivering my ass off.

This one was different, though. As usual, as soon as my eyes closed, everything was dark. Then I was standing outside a Colonial-looking house, with dirt roads and carriages and everything. I was standing in the yard, which was basically just dirt and barely-sprouting-grass. I looked down. I was slightly transparent, but solid too, like a ghost or something.

"George! Stop it!" The voice interrupted my dream-thoughts. I walked up to the house and peered in the window. A little girl, about seven years old, was screaming at a boy standing on the mantle. The boy was laughing uncontrollably. The little girl was dressed in one of those Pilgrim-looking dresses, her long brown hair in a ponytail tied with a pink bow. And she was _mad_.

"Alice, Alice, Alice!" the boy sang.

"Stop it, George!" she shouted.

The boy sprang forward and snatched a porcelain doll out of her hand, dancing back to the top of the mantle and laughing harder.

"Give it back!" the girl yelled furiously. "Give it back!"

"You can't get me, you can't get me," the boy singsonged.

The girl's eyes flashed. She looked murderous, even though she was so little. Something exploded in the house, and a wave of water came and…_grabbed_ the boy, pulling him off the mantle and to the ground. He almost dropped the porcelain doll he was holding in the middle of his screaming.

The little girl sat squarely on his chest as the water retreated. She set her jaw, then planted her tiny fist right into the boy's nose with so much force I heard a loud _crack_. Blood squirted onto her dress, but it was pretty obvious she didn't care. I gaped at the scene.

You'd think that _crack_ was from her hand, like I did, but she just snatched the doll from the wailing boy's fingers and danced away on tiny feet, singing happily as if nothing had happened.

The dream went black, then lightened to show the same house, except now I was inside. The furniture had been moved around and the walls were a different color, but it was the same.

"George, give it back!" The same voice of the little girl I had seen minutes ago, except less high-pitched and older.

A boy of around sixteen ran into the room, grinning and holding something against his chest. I recognized him as the boy from earlier.

"George!" A girl ran after the boy. She was wearing a simple gray dress that reached her feet. Her hair was wound into a tight bun, but as she ran it unfurled down her back.

The boy looked like the good-looking type the girls would moon over, you know, jock. But he was no match for this girl. She tackled him like a football player, sitting on his back and pinning his arms to the ground with her knees.

"Give. It. Back!" she ground out between her teeth.

"Ow, ow, ow!" the boy yelled. "Okay, okay!" He managed to give her a a silver chain. The girl seethed in fury for some reason, but before she could do anything—

"Alice!" someone called from inside the house. "The dressmaker is waiting for you!"

She cursed under her breath. "We'll finish this later," she promised the boy in an ominous voice. "If you don't give it back by tonight, I'll tell Lisa what really happened last week!"

The boy paled. "No! Alice, Lisa's my only chance! If I don't marry her then Father's going to cut me off!"

"Exactly," Alice growled. She got up and went down the hall. "You wanted me, Mother?" she called sweetly. I realized with a shock that this was my _sister_, Alice. This must have been back when she was mortal.

Again the scene darkened. When I could see again, it was in a different room, with only a small bed, a wardrobe, and a lonely-looking vanity.

She was sitting on the bed. Her hair tumbled around her face, reaching all the way down her back in waves. Her dress was blue this time, lace at the sleeves and hem. The door opened, and the boy George entered.

"You can't make me stay," Alice said determinedly.

"I know," George replied. "I'm coming with you."

She blinked. "You…you are?"

He nodded. "Already have my bag packed."

Alice was choking him in a hug before he could say anything else. "Thank you," she whispered.

I followed them out her window and to the ground, where they ran to a lonely stretch of beach. George helped her into the rowboat waiting for them. Alice's hair whipped around her in the wind as George rowed. They were both staring at the town they'd just left behind.

"Will you ever come back?" George grunted.

Alice shook her head. "No. Will you? What about Lisa?"

George was silent. "Lisa won't miss me," he said finally. "She doesn't love me anymore."

"Love," Alice scoffed. "I know no such thing."

The dream changed. I wasn't alarmed to find myself floating in the ocean. Alice was unconscious on a floating piece of wood in front of me, circles under her eyes, her clothes ragged, her hair a mess. George was nowhere to be seen. She washed up on a rocky beach, but she didn't open her eyes. Her dress was in tatters. Her hair was tangled. She was completely dry, as if she'd never gotten in the water.

A group of girls trooped out of the trees, freezing when they saw Alice. Out of the crowd of girls came a young woman, wearing a silvery tunic and a wide crown. She bent over Alice. "Take her back to camp, Petronilla," she murmured over her shoulder. "She could prove useful." One of the girls behind her, a younger one wearing a thin band of silver in her reddish-brown hair, frowned in disapproval.

But she bowed obediently. "Yes, Lady Artemis."

I was standing in a forest I didn't know. I jumped when I heard—

"Move!"

A blonde girl I didn't recognize was standing on the dead body of a giant black mass, hissing at my sister. Something that looked like a huge dog lunged at the distracted blondie, but Alice killed it within three seconds.

I watched in amazement as my sister and the Hunters kill every one of the black monsters—right before a hazy image appeared above the trees…An image with three heads.

_These memories are for you alone, _a voice spoke in my head._ Many do not know my past. I would have you keep it that way. Goodbye, Percy. _

And that's when I woke up, screaming.

* * *

***gasp* Does anybody else remember those? So, now we know what really happened to Alice, but only she and Percy will ever know...and of course George, who drowned in the Pacific in a final, desperate act of sacrifice to save his beloved half-sister. Dead...or is he? Muahahahaha! **

**So, starting on August 23, my updates will be reduced to around once a week, whenever I can. If you're really obsessed with this fanfic [not being conceited; just a what-if], then you might wanna add it in your Story Alerts so you can find out when I update. I promise to try to do so as often as possible.**

**Kisses to all! -Alice**

**P.S. Special thanks to Twilight-Luv, who's been reviewing so nicely. I have doubts about the name [I'm rooting for that new movie _Vampires Suck_], but still. Thanks, gal.**


	5. Percy's Problems

**Okay, I don't have much time. I'm sitting in an undisclosed, top-secret location right now, using a crappy stolen laptop to send this to you guys. Right now I'm on the lamb, running from...well, you get the picture. **

**So, Percy has now gone on a near-death experience to and from Egypt, met almost all of the Egyptian mortal hosts, and he's been having dreams about his big sister's past. Fun times, eh? What trouble will-GAH! GET OFF ME!**

**CHAPTER 5 TRANSMITTING NOW...**

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**5/**

**Tony's POV**

Percy was shaking throughout the whole day. It was just…well, sad. Pathetic. He was a total failure at Sword & Shield. He couldn't hold the bow in Archery. He fell asleep during Pegasus Riding.

If I'd done all that, I'd be lying dead in a gulley somewhere in Mexico or something. But all the instructors—Elijah Andrews, Anne Grey, Emily Archer—were more worried than angry. Even Joan DeWitt seemed a little stressed.

He jumped at everything: a voice, a thud, a rustle. I had no idea what was wrong with him. I was seriously considering dragging him to Miranda Bowman in the infirmary for a psych test when Anne Grey called on me in Ancient Greek class.

"What?" I said.

She pursed her lips. "We're discussing the Hunters of Artemis, Tony. What do they wear for uniforms this century?"

I searched my brain. "Uh...the old-style Greek tunics?" I guessed. "With their bows and arrows, right?"

Anne frowned, obviously shocked I actually answered something right. "Correct."

"Hey, didn't that Alice chick wear that junk?" some Ares kid said. Like everyone else in the room, I turned to stare. Scott Adams had a mouth like a sailor and a brain like a grain of sand, and now he was dumping on Alice? I shook my head. Dumbass.

Anne stiffened. "I would watch your mouth if I were you, Adams."

He scoffed. "Or what? She ain't around to shut me up anymore, so who's gonna do it for her? Nobody! She's probably dead anywa—gah!"

That last bit? That was, unbelievably, little Lily Bloom tackling Scott Adams to the ground. She's half my size and, as like a ten year old **[Sorry, typo in the first chapter. Lily Bloom is ten] **really cute at first sight, but she can squash you like a bug, training here at camp since she was five.

So anyway, Lily was now using her deadly little fist to beat Scott's face into a permenant pulp. The funniest part? No one was stopping her. Until Hannah Duran opened the door.

"Oh my gods," she said, pulling little Lily off Scott and pulling him to his feet. His nose was fauceting blood and his eye was swollen shut. She shoved him toward the infirmary, muttering, "Idiot." She looked around the room, finally seeing Percy in the corner, snoring.

Anne had to throw a bucket of water on him to wake him up. Shaking and looking pale, he went with Hannah. What did she want? Was she taking him to the infirmary? Was there something wrong with my best friend? I felt myself twitching.

Hey, I'm not crazy. I'm Tony Staphili, and when I wanna know something, I get to know it, no matter what it takes. Before I knew what I was doing, I'd borrowed a stink bomb from Connor Heist, threw it at Anne when she wasn't looking, and ducked out the door to follow Hannah and Percy.

I'm no son of Hermes, but I'm pretty good at stuff like this, if I do say so myself. So I was walking from a distance behind the two of them—Percy trembling, Hannah talking—when someone said, "What's wrong with him?"

I jumped three feet in the air, biting down to keep from squealing like a little girl. The air shimmered, and Annabeth Chase stood in front of me, eyebrow arched, Yankees cap held in midair. I coughed into my fist, humiliated. "Uh, no idea," I said finally.

She frowned in frustration. Athena kids _hate_ not knowing—take it from me. "He's been like that all day," she muttered to herself.

I rolled my eyes. "Well, come on, Athena, let's go!" **[BTW, I though of putting **_**Einstein**_** in there, but since this is CHB I thought **_**Athena**_** would be better, so…]**

Annabeth and me snuck after Hannah and Percy, right to the infirmary. We pressed our ears to the door and listened hard.

"…okay, Percy?" Miranda Bowman was saying. "People have been saying you've been acting strangely all day."

"I'm…okay," Percy said, but we all heard the hesitation in his voice. "I've just been having some bad dreams."

I could practically _hear _Miranda frowning from all the way behind the door. "Here," she said, obviously handing him something we couldn't see. "Take a teaspoon every night; that should clear up those dreams."

"No!" Percy said, making me and Annabeth glance at each other in disbelief. "Um, it's okay."

"Very well," Miranda said. I knew she only talked like that when she was suspicious. _You better watch out, Perce,_ I thought. "I don't want you running around camp in your condition, though. Stay here and sleep for a while. I'll go talk to your instructors about excusing you from class."

Annabeth and I stared at each other in terror as we heard Miranda start walking for the door. The Great and Loyal Annie whipped on her hat and vanished instantly. I scowled. She had it easy. I had to dive into the room next door.

I pressed my back against the door, breathing hard. I was gonna get Annabeth. I couldn't believe I was in the _girls' bathroom_. I waited until Miranda and Hannah's footsteps passed, then got_ the hell _outta there_. _

Good ol' Annie appeared, laughing her ass off. I scowled at her, grumbling, and together we snuck into the infirmary.

Percy, poor guy, was already asleep. I went to go wake him up, but Annabeth grabbed my arm, shaking her head and pressing a finger to her lips. I got it right away, which is rare for me. (Hey, dumb guy talking, and proud of it!) We sat on the bed by Percy's and listened to him talk in his sleep.

Andromeda was so worried, I could tell. But not me! Actually, I was wishing I brought a camcorder or something. This was priceless! But Annie seemed to know what I was thinking and punched me. I made a face at her silently.

**Percy's POV**

Miranda was frowning at me. "Very well," she said, putting away the glowing bottle. "I don't want you going to Pegasus Riding in your condition, though. Stay here and sleep for a while. I'll go talk to Elizabeth about excusing you from class."

_Thank the gods._ I needed the sleep. After my latest sister-dream, I'd been practically sleepwalking everywhere. I waited until Miranda and Hannah left, then laid down on one of the beds and closed my eyes.

Oh, crap, I was dreaming again. I was standing in a beautiful orchard, with countless trees I didn't bother to look at. Eight girls were standing in front of me, five dressed in the loose-fitting uniform of the Hunters of Artemis (I only know this 'cause I had actually been paying attention to that Ancient Greek class a few hours ago), three wearing Greek chitons.

I recognized Alice immediately. She was talking intently to the group, all wearing serious faces. I stepped closer.

"…Eleanor, Chloe, you two get in the trees. Perhaps he won't see you there. Tiana, you, me, and Hermione are getting the sheep. Got it?"

The girls nodded. Two of them, who must have been Eleanor and Chloe, disappeared into the trees, bows at the ready. The rest of them looked nervous.

"Alice, are you sure this will work?" one of the girls in the chitons asked.

"No," my sister responded. "Let's go." She started into the trees.

"Don't worry, Erytheia," one of the Hunters said. "Ladon will be fine."

"Stay out of this Arethusa," another one said. They ran after my sister. The scene switched.

"Alice!" someone yelled. "We can't hold him for long!"

"I heard you the first time, Chloe!" Alice yelled back, flustered. "We're trying!"

Tiana and Hermione (I don't know which was which) were mixing something in a pot. It was shimmering pale blue, and the steam rising from it was bright green.

"Is it working?" Alice demanded.

One of the girls shook her head, stirring wildly. "I don't know yet. The steam has to turn gold before we can—"

A roar from somewhere. Alice glanced back. "Spike the sheep. I'll keep Ladon at bay." She drew her sword and ran off.

"Tiana, add more narcotics," one girl ordered. Tiana, a girl with long auburn hair and blue eyes, pinched something between her fingers and dropped it into the pot. The two girls jumped back as the pot spat oil, then the steam abruptly turned gold.

The scene switched to another part of the same forest. I gaped. A beautiful apple tree was standing in the center of a clearing, covered in emerald-green leaves and golden apples. The three girls I'd seen earlier were sitting at the base, two sobbing, one glaring so hard in another direction I half-expected something to explode.

A huge dragon was roaring in pain to my left. Two girls in the trees were shooting arrows by the dozen, desperately climbing from tree to tree to avoid the dragon's wrath.

Alice was standing in front of him, stabbing him with her sword from time to time. She was yelling at him in Greek: _"Ladonas! Iremia ton easto saf!"_ which was basically telling someone named Ladon to calm down. **[BTW (again), those of you who are writing your own PJO fanfics and if you want to know how to write in Greek but in English letters, just use ****Google Translate**** and click on "show Romanization". The rest should be easy enough.]**

"Alice!" Tiana and Hermione came running, struggling to hold the dead sheep they were carrying.

She turned. The dragon lunged. The non-crying girl at the tree smiled.

_No! _I shouted._ Turn around! Run!_

The dragon's jaws closed around her torso.

**Tony's POV**

Just as Kind and Gentle Annie was giving me the death-glare, Percy rolled over. "No," he muttered. "No, don't...turn around."

Annabeth glanced at me. I bit the inside of my cheek. _Now_ I was worried.

"No! Run!" Percy shouted suddenly, making us both jump. He was having a fight to the death with the sheets. We ran to wake him up.

"Percy! Percy! Wake up, man!" I yelled.

Annabeth's jaw set. She grabbed Percy's shoulder with one hand and slapped him clear across the face with the other. He woke up, yelling.

"OW!" he screamed. "What the hell?"

"Dude, you were having a heart attack!" I told him. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," he said immediately, but Annabeth and I knew better.

"What were you dreaming about?" Andromeda pressed.

Percy looked uncomfortable. "It's nothing."

Annabeth opened her mouth, but I cut her off. "Leave the kid alone, Annie." I got a punch for that, but we had to scram when we heard someone coming to the door.

I ended up hanging from the thick wooden beams on the ceiling, Annabeth invisible under Percy's bed. I glanced over at the door. It was Anne Grey, coming to see Percy. They started talking.

I wasn't eavesdropping on their conversation. My legs had gone numb, and my arms were screaming in pain. Annabeth must have seen my total crying, because the door opened silently, waiting for me.

I dropped to the ground when Anne had her back turned and high-tailed it out of there. I collapsed onto the floor. "Did you…hear what they were saying?" I gasped.

Annabeth nodded, looking grim. "Come on. I told Percy to meet us in the armor closet ASAP."

I groaned, but I let her drag me to the arena. It looked basically like the Coliseum, except now it had a _gigantic_ barn owl and a bloody spear engraved over some of the entrances, courtesy of Elijah Andrews and Clio Smith. But you probably already knew that.

I have no idea how long we waited in the closet, but I got really bored, so I passed out on the cold floor. Without even being conscious, I knew Andromeda was glaring at me. She had that weird effect on people.

It took me a second to realize I was dreaming.

I was standing in a room, underground, from the looks of it. It was so cold. I looked around. It was…a cave. That's it. Nothing special about it. The only things in it was a throne, a dog, and a statue hanging from the ceiling. I decided to focus on the throne first.

It was so black you'd think it'd blend in with the rest of the cave, but in reality it stuck out like a sore thumb.

A dog barked. I turned, and realized with a shock that what I'd thought was a statue was really a person. A girl, chained to the ceiling by her hands. Her feet were a good ten feet off the ground. Her head was bowed, her brown hair hiding her face.

The dog was gnawing at something on the wall. It looked up at the girl and whined.

"_Einai entaxei,"_ the girl coaxed in Ancient Greek from behind her hair. _"Synechizo."_ She was saying something like "It's all right. Keep going."

The dog kept gnawing. A sudden flash made it yelp and run away. The girl didn't move.

"So, you are trying to escape?" an evil voice filled the room.

"Of course not," the girl replied. "I am merely testing the intelligence of your dogs."

The voice growled. "You will never escape my clutches, girl. You are my prisoner."

"Not for long," the girl said. "You will never break me."

"Really?" A loud snap, like someone snapping their fingers. The girl started to shake, like she was having a seizure, or maybe a heart attack.

"Never," the girl panted when she stopped moving. "You will never be queen."

The voice seethed. "We shall see," it hissed. "We shall see."

The girl lifted her head, and smiled. My heart jumped into my throat. Even I knew who she was. The living legend herself, Alice.

And that's when I woke up on the floor of the armor shed. "Oh my gods!" I yelled.

Annabeth and Percy's hands covered my mouth. "Shut up!" they said.

"Sorry!" I whispered. "I just had a mission-changing vision, in case you were wondering."

"What vision?" Annabeth asked.

I told them everything. Annabeth sat down hard. Percy looked stunned. "So…what does this mean?"

"It means Anne was wrong," Andromeda said. "Alice isn't in Greece. From what Tony said, it sounds like she's being held by—"

Annabeth was interrupted by a horn. She was out the door in a second. Percy and I shrugged, then followed her. At the boundary line was one of my worst nightmares: Elizia the drakon going completely bat-crazy.

Another drakon was trying to calm Elizia down as she rampaged over the invisible boundary line, but she wasn't buying it. She made craters in the ground and burned the grass to black crisps.

"Holy mother f***ing shit!" I shouted.

"What happened?" Annabeth yelled.

"A mortal came too close to the boundary line!" someone else yelled back. "It spooked Elizia!"

Annabeth grimaced. "Crap." She drew her sword and ran to help the crowd that was trying to calm the drakon down.

"What do we do?" I said. "If we don't calm her down she's gonna eat something!"

Percy blinked at me as if I'd just given him an idea. He grabbed my shoulders. "You're a genius!"

"Thanks, I know," I replied immediately, but then I was confused. "Wait, why am I a genius?"

"Come on!" he dragged me to the house.

"Percy, what are we doing?" I asked him.

He ignored me, pulling me right into the Athena room. That's not the wisest thing to do, in my case, 'cause the Athena kids hate me. Again, I'm no Hermes kid, but I might as well be for all the love and care I get from the Athena group.

Sophie Salazar stood up as soon as she saw us. "Percy," she said in surprise. "What are you—?"

"I need one of Medea's recipes!" he blurted out.

She blinked. "Medea? Her potions aren't always—"

"I need a sleeping potion!" he yelled. "Now!"

Sophie looked startled, but she started to rummage around in her drawers and cabinets, until she found a slip of parchment. "Here," she said.

"Thanks, Soph!" I yelled as Percy grabbed the paper and dragged me out the door. "Perce, are you feeling okay?" I asked him as I followed him to the kitchen.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said absently.

"Oh, good, then what the freak are you doing?"

He glanced up. "I'm gonna put Elizia to sleep." He started putting stuff in a pot and mixing it around. After a second of watching my seemingly-crazy best friend, I decided to help him with whatever he was doing.

**Percy's POV**

Tony must have thought I was crazy, but at that second, I didn't care. I glanced from the recipe to the cabinets throwing everything I needed into the bucket I'd pulled out. Finally Tony decided to help me mix it all together. Between our frantic stirring, the potion changed colors rapidly: black, white, green, blue.

"Done yet?" Tony said.

I shook my head. "The steam has to be gold." Just as I said it, the steam went from pasty yellow to gold. _Yes!_ I thought. Together me and Tony heaved the heavy pot outside, where we found Annabeth riding Elizia like a bull at a rodeo.

More of our cousins were scattered around them, all yelling in Greek, but Elizia didn't seem to hear them, and neither did Annabeth.

I shouted her name, but she couldn't look up. Suddenly Elizia bucked and Annabeth flew against the pine tree. She got up, holding her arm, and screamed, "What _the hell_ are you doing?"

"Drugging her!" Tony yelled back.

Annabeth seemed to understand our plan within a fraction of a second. She jumped on Elizia's back again, wincing. She pushed the drakon's head to the ground and forced her jaws open with her sword.

"Now!" she shouted.

Me and Tony shoved the dead animal into Elizia's mouth. She swallowed it, still thrashing, but finally she stopped moving.

Annabeth got up, looking pale, clutching her left arm. I went to stand by her as she stared at Elizia's sleeping form.

"What were you saying?" I said, grinning.

"I—" Annabeth started, but then her eyes closed and she collapsed. I caught her without thinking, freezing for a second at having her so close. My heart sped up for some annoying reason.

Tony came over and picked up her feet, nodding grimly. And together we took her to the infirmary to see Miranda.

* * *

**Hey, do you guys know any good beta readers? I don't have one, and I think I could use one, so it would be really appreciated if you guys could give me the name of a good one. Thanks!Don't forget to review and tell me what to think-even if its a flamer.**

**~ Alice ~**


	6. Fooled

**Right, so here's chapter 6 for you guys. I can't believe I actually escaped that _thing_. Anyway, I'm safe now-or safe enough to give this to you. Don't ask any questions about the title, I just couldn't seem to come up with anything better, considering.**

**This first part, obviously, is in Peter's POV, and maybe a little cheesy and predictable. It might make Alice sound like a Mary-Sue, but I'm gonna fix that soon, so don't say anything about that. So, go ahead and read, kids. Good on ya!**

**[P.S. I have no idea what I just said. I heard a British woman say it on a TV show.]**

* * *

**6/**

**Peter's POV**

Everyone has their sanctuary, right? Their home, their church, their school. Mine? Mine was Camp Half-Blood. I fought hand-to-hand combat in the arena. I read about my dad in the Athena room. I played my first _real_ Capture the Flag game here in the woods. Camp Half-Blood was _my_ home, _my_ church, _my_ school. I love it here.

Correction: loved it here.

Alice. Ever since she'd…vanished, everyone's been listless, sad, pathetic. But not as much as me. I've already established that I have a pretty big damn crush on that girl, but now I'm not sure. Do I love her? Maybe. Does she know? Hell no.

Derek knows enough not to squeal on me. Sometimes his eyes'll flick from Alice to me, as if he wants to say something about it, but every time he does that I shut him up with a death glare.

Most of the guys at camp like Alice. Or at least think she's hot. I don't think so. I think she's beautiful, with her sea green eyes, gently curling dark hair, and...you get the picture. You have no idea how long I spend wishing she was mine. But I'll never have her.

She's four hundred and eighty two years old, anyway. _And _she's a Hunter. Artemis loves her like a daughter, even though she'll never be a mother. Adam Blair's kinda/maybe in love with her too, and that's enough for us to kinda/sorta hate each other. Nobody knows about it though. Thank the gods.

I grimaced. Looking at that Jackson kid was like a recording, playing that night over and over and over again…

_***Flashback***_

"_Derek, where's Alice?" I asked._

_Derek thought for a second. "Didn't she say she was going to go check the kid's house or something? For monsters, right?"_

_I bit my lip. I didn't know why I was so jittery. I got this weird feeling that something back was going to happen. But I relaxed at Derek's words. Yeah, that's what she'd said. Alice was Alice. She'd be fine, right?_

_We got tired of waiting just yesterday, and we'd already dragged/dropped off the new mark at camp, but for some reason Alice pulled us back to his town without answering our questions. She disappeared to do something else half an hour ago, and she hasn't come back yet. It was, like, midnight already. I was getting worried. I sighed and rested my chin on my hands, staring blankly at the full moon._

_Suddenly a scream split the air. Derek and I were up from the park bench in a second, my sword out, Derek's emergency bag of great-for-throwing-tin-cans in his hand. My heart jumped into my throat when I realized I…knew that voice. _

_I'd recognize it anywhere. But what was really worrying me was that I was recognizing that voice _now_. Derek and I exchanged glances, then ran like the devil was chasing us—but _toward _the scream. _

_Were we crazy? Probably. Were we worried? Hell yeah. Were we scared shitless because of whose voice that was? You're damn right we were. Why? Because it was Alice's voice. _

_But the thing that scared me the most wasn't that we were about to pass out from oxygen-deprivation (is that even a word?). It wasn't that we had no idea what happened to her. It was the fact that the scream belonged to her, Alice, the fearless Hunter. The sound was enough to curdle my blood. _

_That scream meant it had to be something really powerful that she was dealing with, or else Derek and I wouldn't be hacking our lungs out of our mouths right now. By the time we got to the source of the scream, nothing was there. _

_***End Flashback***_

And now that someone might know where she is, I won't stop until I find her.

"Peter." I looked up to see a Iris-message floating in the air, Hannah Duran in the middle of it. She flickered. "...misunderstanding...back to New York now..."

"What?" I said.

She looked confused. "...can't hear...breaking up..." The Iris-message vanished.

I woke Anne. "Euphoria was wrong. Alice isn't here."

Anne shot to her feet. "What!" She fumed. "Get us back to New York now!"

"I can't!" I said. "Parker stole my watch!"

Anne began to pace. She woke up Zoë Perish and Mariah Evans, who looked annoyed at being awake at all, but serious all the same.

"What do we do?" I said.

"We have to get back on foot," Anne said. "Now."

We all nodded. And so our trek began. (Hey, shut up! I can use the word_ trek!_ I'm not that dumb!)

Everyone has their sanctuary. Their home, their church, their school. Camp Half-Blood was _my_ home, _my_ church, _my_ school. I love it here. Correction: loved it here.

**Percy's POV**

Someone was shaking my shoulder. "Perseus Jackson," someone whispered. "Wake up!"

I jumped up with a start. Before I was fully awake, I had whoever woke me up pinned to the ground, my sword at their throat.

That someone kicked me between the legs, rolled the both of us over, and punched me in the nose. Twice. I heard a loud _crack_. My nose exploded in pain.

"OW!" someone screamed. It was me. The light flicked on, and I found myself staring up at Annabeth Chase, her fist poised above my face like she was going to punch me again.

Her expression flickered from warlike to surprised. She got off my chest and pulled me up. I clapped a hand to my nose, which was, of course, spurting blood. "OW!" I said again.

"Sorry," Annabeth said. "You startled me."

Tony, who'd turned on the lights, stared at her. "How did you do that?"

She glanced at him. "Some girls played with Barbies when they were little," she said. "Others took boxing lessons."

Tony grinned. "That is _so_ hot."

She flashed him an annoyed look, then looked at me. "Percy, you have to leave _now_."

"What?" I said.

"Go! You have to take Tony and leave _now_!"

"Jared, go get Jackson, Chase, and Staphili." The voice interrupted our conversation. My blood ran cold, not because of the words, but because that voice belonged to Joan DeWitt.

"Shit," Annabeth cursed. "_We_ have to leave now." She opened one of the infirmary's windows and backed up a few feet. Before I could ask her what she was doing, she got a running start and promptly swan-dived out the window. "Hurry up!" Her voice hissed up at us.

We stared at each other in disbelief, but as soon as we heard heavy footsteps at the door, we followed Annabeth's footsteps. She was already running to the boundary line, every long stride of hers matching three of my slow ones.

"Annabeth, stop!" someone shouted from far behind us, but Annabeth just pushed us faster, right past the boundary line, down the hill, and to the road.

"There!" Tony pointed at a truck on the side of the road. The mortal who owned it was peeing on the side of the road. Ew.

Annabeth didn't hesitate. She ran right to the mortal and struck him a couple of times with her fingertips. The mortal went limp, falling right into his own urine. I wrinkled my nose.

"Annabeth! Wait!" that voice again—accompanied by drakons and three very angry children of Ares: Jared Bennett, Ophelia Warring, and a kid I didn't know.

We all dived into the car. Annabeth turned the ignition, yanked the gearshift into Drive and punched the gas, throwing everyone back. The comforting lights of Camp Half-Blood vanished behind us as Nadira drove like a maniac onto the freeway, swerving around cars. I wasn't surprised to see that we earned more than a few honks and even a couple of fingers.

After a while Tony took the wheel. I woke up to find that Annabeth was asleep on my shoulder; Tony was grinning. We stopped.

I got out of the car gingerly, not wanting to wake Annabeth. She woke up anyway. She turned to face me, and her expression went…weird.

"What?" I said.

"Your nose," she said.

Oh, yeah. I'd been so distracted I hadn't even noticed that my nose was still bleeding from Nadira's fist.

She came over and studied it. "Hm. I think I broke it," she muttered. "I'm going to reset it, all right?" She pinched the bridge of my nose lightly between her knuckles.

"Okay, but is it going to—GAH!" I yelled as she cracked my nose into place. My eyes started to tear up from the pain. "OW! WHAT THE HELL?"

Annabeth put a towel I'd never seen before to my nose. "What were you going to ask?" she asked me innocently.

"Never mind," I muttered.

She was completely calm. "Oh, good, it stopped."

"Will somebody explain what just happened?" Tony asked.

"Annabeth broke my nose again," I said, holding the towel to my nose. She gave me a skeptical look.

"What? Oh, she lied to Peter and Anne," I relented. "She threw them off the trail."

"They're in Greece," Annabeth added. She went and yanked Tony from the car. He fell to the dirt with a snort, waking up.

"What? Where's the pie? Did the duck eat it already?" he said groggily.

We stared at him. "What duck?" I said, my voice muffled by the towel.

His face turned red. "Nothing! There was no talking duck at all! Or pie!"

We were still staring.

"Uh…I'm gonna sleep on the ground, 'kay? Don't start the truck." Still red, he rolled underneath the truck and immediately started snoring.

Andromeda shook her head. "I will never understand that son of Dionysus."

"No one will," I agreed. I stretched. "I'm calling it a night. See ya in the morning." I curled up by the base of a tree. I fell asleep as soon as my head touched the ground. The last thing I saw was Nadira and Andromeda looking at me weirdly.

**Andromeda's POV**

I dreamed I was in a cave. The dream barely lasted for a few seconds, but I caught a glimpse of three things: a dog, a hidden captor, and Alice. With a shock I made the connection. Dog, goddess? Hecate. Hecate had Alice.

That made so much sense! I cursed myself for not figuring it out. I lay there for hours, trying to draw up a plan. If I knew one thing, it was this: getting her back would not be easy.

* * *

**Whaaaaaaat? Hecate has Alice? Annabeth's right: that does make a lot of sense. Now all that's left is to: 1) find out where they are, and 2) rescue them. Sounds easy enough, right? Wrong! Just wait to see what I've got in store for you guys! Muahahahaha!**

**~ Alice ~**


	7. On the Run

**Things to look forward to in this chapter: Man hunts, dreams about our pal Alice, and maybe... an explosion or two? Nadira, Andromeda, Percy, and Tony have still got imaginary bounties over their heads, set by none other than Joan DeWitt and Peter Montgomery. Jared de la Rue and his siblings are hot on the trail, and they won't stop until they catch our four young heroes. **

**Excited yet?**

* * *

**7/**

When I woke up, my nose was still hurting, and my back was too. I got up, groaning. Tony rolled out from under the truck. Annabeth sat up from her spot in the truck bed.

"Is everybody okay?" Tony said sleepily from the floor. "The duck didn't show up with a pie and kill anybody, right?"

We ignored him. "Morning," Annabeth said, rubbing her eyes. She cracked her back. "Ugh. My back hurts like a bitch."

"I hear you," I said, stretching. "Whoever thought the ground could do that much damage?"

Tony sighed. "I'm gonna miss all those cupcakes."

Annabeth sighed. She kicked Tony in the shin. "Come on, Tony, get up!"

He got to his feet. "Ow! What was that for?"

"For being an idiot."

Tony opened his mouth, but Annabeth cut him off. "We have to keep moving. Joan DeWitt will send someone after us. And they won't be alone."

"Great," I sighed.

"I know who has Alice," she said suddenly.

"What?" Tony sat up so fast he got dizzy. I leaned forward. She explained about her dream, seeing the same thing as Tony. Hecate had Alice.

"Who in the hell is Hecate?" Tony said, stretching out on the floor.

"Goddess of magic, dumbass," Annabeth said. "Haven't you been listening?"

"No," he answered.

She rolled her eyes. "Hecate lives in the Underworld, deeper than even Melinoe's cave."

"Oh, shit," Tony said. "That's gonna be hard."

"Duh," Andromeda said.

A crack from somewhere behind us. We turned to see three drakons, around twenty feet away. The riders? Jared de la Rue, Ophelia Warring, and that third boy I didn't know. They were all staring at us with hate.

"Get in!" Tony yelled. We all piled in the car. Tony hit the gas and started driving like a maniac.

"Follow them!" Ophelia shouted from behind us.

Annabeth, who was sitting in the back, started climbing over to the front. She pulled a knife and slashed open the center of the steering wheel.

"Whoa!" Tony yelled. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Shut up! I'm trying to think!" she yelled back. She sawed out a huge chunk of the wheel, then did something that was either really stupid or really brave.

She opened the passenger side door and started climbing to the truck bed. She left a trail of wires from the thing she was holding to the gaping wheel.

"Annabeth!" I shouted. "What are you doing!"

She didn't hear me. Sitting safely in the truck bed, she started doing something with the wires. Glancing forward, I realized she'd cut the airbag clean out of the wheel. Something was sparking where she was using her knife.

"Tony!" she yelled. "Honk the horn as long as possible!"

"What?" Tony shouted, swerving to avoid a few dumb drivers.

"HONK!" Andromeda screamed.

I lunged forward and smashed my hand onto what was left of the horn, just as Andromeda threw the chunk of dashboard at the drakon chasing us.

To my shock, it exploded on impact. The drakon, Lazar, screeched in pain and fell back, writhing as he burned. The others, Gale and Elizia, glared at us with eyes the size of spotlights and lunged.

"How in _the hell_ did you do that?" Tony yelled.

"Basic engineering!" Annabeth yelled back. "Splice the wires and create static electricity to—"

"Whoops, don't care!" he shouted over the wind.

"Tony!" I said. "Step on it!"

In response he yanked the gearshift into the second gear and punched the gas. He swerved left, causing cars to annihilate each other in a mass car jam.** [Is that even a word? Car jam?] **Andromeda pulled something from her pocket. It was a small silver ball, but in three seconds it glowed and transformed into a grenade the size of my fist.

"Whoa!" I yelled, but she ignored me, pulled the pin with her teeth, and threw it with a deadly aim—right onto Elizia's head.

The drakons roared in fury as they were forced to stop. "I'll get you four!" Jared Bennet called after us. "If my sister wants you guys I'll bring you back!"

I still didn't understand why Joan DeWitt wanted us, but that didn't matter now. All I cared about was living, at the moment. Adrenaline was coursing through me. Why? Because Annabeth Chase was trying to kill me.

She was going so fast I was scared we would burst into flames or get our faces sucked off by the g-forces. My heart wanted to beat right out of my chest.

"I keep forgetting, why are they chasing us again?" Tony yelled. His face was pale and he was clutching the sides of his seat in a death grip.

"No one knows!" I shouted back.

TWO HOURS LATER 

"Annie, can we please stop now?" Tony asked. He'd been lying in the back of the truck for hours, not bothering to complain until about five minutes ago, driving us crazy.

"I don't want to get caught," she answered, her grip on the wheel tightening. Her knuckles turned white.

"Neither do I, but it's so boring," Tony complained. "And I almost fell asleep. Can we stop at a motel and just hang there?"

"Yeah, Annabeth," I said. "Let's go to one with a TV."

"Fine," she agreed. She pulled off the freeway.

"That one!" Tony sat up, jabbing a finger at the window.

"No!" Annabeth said. "I've never been outside camp, but if I know anything, it's that places that look good in the mortal world spell demons for us."

We drove for ten more minutes, then she said, "What about that?" She gestured to a run-down building labeled _MOTEL._

"That one looks non-good," I said. "Good enough for you?"

She nodded. "Yeah…"

"Let's go then!" Tony rapped his hands on the dashboard. "I hope they have video games!"

"Or at least a TV," I muttered.

We pulled up in the parking lot and wandered to the front desk; the clerk took one look at the four of us and gave us two adjoining rooms, each with one bed and a bathroom.

Annabeth wrinkled her nose. "Ew. How much did this cost us?"

"Fifty bucks each room," I said. "I guess the manager thought we were orphans or "

"Close enough," I said. The girls went into the next room and locked the door. Tony and me stared at the one bed.

"Uh…you can have it," I said. "I'll take the bathtub." Tony looked grateful. I went into the bathroom and plopped into the cold tub. Thank the gods it was dry and somewhat cleaner than the rest of the room.

I don't remember falling asleep, but the next thing I knew I wasn't lying in a slightly gross bathtub in a should-be-closed-down-motel, I was standing in a cave, underground.

The walls were lit with torches. I was facing two thrones. One was really _red_. Like I had to look away 'cause my eyes were hurting kind of _red_. The other was pitch black, but before I could study it more I heard something behind me and turned to look.

A girl, hanging from the ceiling by chains. Her brown hair covered her face, but I knew who she was. Alice.

She spoke, scaring the crap outta me. "Dominic," she said. "You have to rescue Dominic first, then come get me. Do it, Percy. You have to."

"Whom are you speaking to, girl?" I turned around to see a dark figure seated on the throne. I couldn't see a face, but I knew that person was watching my sister in amusement.

"I am speaking to no one," Alice said, lifting her head to expose her intimidating green eyes. "Staying in this…headquarters of yours is quite maddening, though I do not intend to release hold on my mind."

I could almost hear the smirking. "A shame. It would have been much easier for us if you had."

"I know," Alice said.

"I sense him." A voice came out of nowhere. The air shimmered by Alice's left foot and a woman appeared next to her. The woman was dressed in a Greek chiton…and she had three heads.

The human face was pretty, I guess, but the other ones were too shocking for her to be beautiful. The left one was a vicious dog, growling and snapping and foaming at the mouth. Its eyes glowed crimson. The one on the right was a horse, which sounds stupid, but was terrifying all the same. Its eyes were red too.

"The boy is here," the woman, obviously a goddess, said. "Get out of my throne."

The person on the throne obeyed. "What? How? Did you do this?" they demanded of Alice.

"No," the goddess I didn't know said, taking her place on her throne. "The boy has brought himself hither."

_Hither?_ I thought. _Is that even a word?_

"Leave him be," Alice said. "He has done nothing against you."

The goddess sneered. "His mere existence is an offense to us."

"Your betrayal is disgusting," my sister snapped. She spat at the goddess. Immediately Alice started shaking like she was having a seizure. I backed away.

The goddess turn her human eyes to me. "See, boy? Your puny sister can do nothing against us and neither. Can. You. I will rule America! You cannot make us falter in our rise! Give up!"

I woke up all of a sudden, Alice's scream echoing in my ears. Someone was knocking on the door, and suddenly it opened. It was Tony.

"Dude, how long can it take to open a damn door?" he complained. He stopped in his tracks. "Percy? What's wrong? You okay?"

"Uh…" I got out of the bathtub, shaking. "Y—yeah, I…I'm fine."

Tony looked at me funny. He was holding a toothbrush in one hand. "Right," he said. "Well, you'll never guess who showed up at two a.m. last night."

I really didn't need anymore surprises, but I said, "Who?"

"Jason Ashby."

I blinked. "How? Annabeth was driving at, like, a hundred miles an hour!"

"Hundred and fifty-seven, to be exact," Annabeth's voice called from the other room.

Tony shrugged. "I don't know. He said he hung under the truck for hours. He's outside right now."

Someone screamed. Tony and me all looked at each other, then drew our separate weapons and ran to the other room. Annabeth was standing on a dresser, screaming her head off.

"Annabeth!" I yelled. "What's wrong?"

"Spider!" she shrieked.

We all lowered our weapons. Jason held out his arm. "This one?" A black spider was sitting on his forearm. He crushed it under his foot.

Annabeth relaxed. "I hate spiders." She shuddered.

Another yell. I closed my eyes and sighed. "_Please_ tell me we don't know who screamed."

"That was Jason," Tony realized. Annabeth's expression went from embarrassed to warlike as she pulled out her Celestial bronze knife and ran out the door. The rest of us guys shrugged at each other, then ran after her.

We found Jason in the parking lot, fighting a…monster. Of course we had to deal with that right now. It was the weirdest thing I'd ever seen. It had a lion's body, a serpent's tail, and a goat's head sprouting from the middle of its back.

"What is that?" I said in horror.

Annabeth was pale when she answered, "The Chimera."

"Say what now?" Tony asked, but Annabeth was gone, running with her knife to help Jason.

I fingered Riptide in worry, glanced at Tony, then followed her. The snake-tail lashed around, hissing, trying to bite our feet off. I saw my chance. While the snake was occupied with trying to eat Tony, I chopped its head off with a single swipe of my sword.

The lion's head screamed in pain and turned to face me. I threw my sword in its face like a javelin, which wasn't the smartest thing to do. The blade went right into the lion's left eye. It went crazy trying to get it out, barely noticing Annabeth on its back.

Once she got to the neck she raised her knife above her head. Time seemed to slow for an eerie second, the blade flashing in the sun. She brought it down in one stab, but earned way more blood than I would've liked. The Chimera disappeared into yellow dust. Annabeth fell to the ground.

Jason was lying in a heap, unconscious. Tony ran over. I crouched by Annabeth.

"Annabeth, are you okay?" I said.

She sat up. "Fine. Where's Jason?"

"She'll be fine," I said. "What about—"

A roar interrupted me. I turned and saw three drakons we knew all too well. Even when they were a mile away, I could make out the Ares kids' faces, and they weren't pretty.

"RUN!" I yelled. We did. Jason headed for the nearest car, which was a crappy van. We followed him. In two minutes he had hot-wired the car. We zoomed down the street so fast I was expecting the wind to suck off my face.

"Annabeth, do that thingy with the dashboard again!" Tony yelled.

"Don't need to!" she yelled back. She pulled something from her pocket—another silver ball. It turned into a grenade in a second.

"What the f***?" Jason shouted.

"Got this off of Clio Smith!" she explained in a shout. "Demigod grenades!" She yanked the pin, stood up, and threw it back.

I watched as Jared Bennet caught it, stared at it, then everything exploded. Jason gunned it; the car went faster than I'd thought possible. I glanced at him, and, judging from his expression, we'd be spending more than a couple hours in this car.

* * *

**Go Annabeth! You know, I'm pretty sure that you CAN actually do that with an airbag and a car horn, except it wouldn't explode as in fire, it would just maybe break your ribs. Oh well, this is the demigod world we're talking here; anything's possible. **

**Now, the upcoming chapter 8 is way more interesting than chapter 7, I think. I'll explain more when I actually post it, since the material I put in there might be confusing, so all of you just have to be patient. I know I'll try to be.**

**Luv ya!**

**Kisses! -Alice**


	8. I Meet Someone Completely Insane

**Good morning, guys! Or night, if that's when you're reading this. This chapter might be kind of weird and confusing, but I think you guys are smart enough-if not geniuses-to figure it out. **

**I have some bad news: this will be the last chapter before the start of my school year (Monday). So, as I'm pretty sure I've already explained, starting then, my updates will slow to a sluggish once a week-probably Fridays. That's why you have to enjoy chapter 8 for as long as you can. If my 'impatience issue' kicks in tomorrow, you should consider yourselves extremely lucky.**

**Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Disclaimer: I do not own any of the ideas I have used and/or altered in the making of this fanfiction. My OCs, places, and ideas are the only things that are mine.**

* * *

**8/**

"Annabeth, do you have any ideas?" Jason asked.

We were sitting in a semi-circle by the van, half-hidden by the trees. We were planning our next move, but it wasn't easy.

Annabeth shook her head in response to Jason's question. "No." That was a bad sign. If Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena, didn't have a plan, then we were screwed.

"I do," Tony said, but we all interrupted him with "NO!" We knew what happened with Tony's plans.

"I have a plan."

We all jumped at the voice. I certainly didn't know it, but the next thing I knew, we all had our weapons drawn. The trunk to the Porsche popped open, and a girl jumped out.

Annabeth's expression flickered. She lowered her knife. "Parker? What the hell are you doing here?"

"I've been waiting for you guys to pop the trunk for _hours_," the girl complained. "Travis and Connor locked me in there so I could prank you guys, but you never opened it!"

"Everyone, this is Parker Larcener," Annabeth said. "Master cat-burglar, safe-cracker, and pickpocket."

"Don't forget car jacker," Parker said. She glanced at me and grinned. "You're Percy Jackson, huh?"

"Yeah," I said.

She hugged me all of a sudden. "Aww! You're like a little Alice-mini-me!"

"I'm like a what now?"

"So, Parker, what's your plan?" Jason interrupted.

"Oh, right. I say we split up, pretend we're filthy mortals—no offense to you, Nadira—and go to separate schools," she said. "Boarding schools."

"I hate school," Jason said. "But sounds pretty reasonable."

"Why split up?" Tony asked.

Parker rolled her eyes. "Six demigods in a mortal school? Please, Tony, we wouldn't last a day."

"She's right," I remarked.

"Hey, Annabeth," Parker said suddenly, "why did you pick up _this?_" She was surveying the 'borrowed' van in disgust.

"It's not _my _fault," Annabeth said defensively. "It was the first thing I saw, and we were under pressure."

"Still," she said. "I could've stolen another one in under two minutes."

"I think you mean 'borrowed'," I said, but she ignored me.

"You know what? I'm gonna steal a better one," she mused. "Maybe a Mercedes, or Tesla."

Annabeth stood. "You know, we could use some supplies. I'll go with you." She held out her hand. "Alright, everybody cough it up." Everybody groaned, but pitched in what money we had left. I watched Parker Larcener and Annabeth leave, and suddenly I found myself wondering what other things Parker had done.

**Annabeth's POV**

"See anything you like?" I asked Parker as we walked down the street.

"No," she sighed, then switched to a singsong-y voice. "But I will."

I glanced at the money in my hand. It added up to about a hundred and fifty bucks, which was awesome, considering the circumstances. I spotted a Target and pulled Parker along. "Come on. We need supplies."

I bought all the school stuff we needed, with thirty bucks left over—but that was only because Parker shoplifted everything else. We were walking back to our friends with the shopping bags when Parker saw something.

"Ooh! The Rolls Royce Phantom Drophead Coupé!" she squealed, pulling me over to a fancy-looking car. "I want it." She looked at me as if for permission.

"Fine," I said. "Just don't draw attention."

"'Kay." She dropped the bags. She pulled out a small kit and opened it, revealing a set of silver tools. I blocked the view from her as she quickly picked the lock and sat inside. I got in too.

"So," I said, "are you gonna hot-wire the car?"

She scoffed. "No. That's for amateurs."

I blinked. "Really?"

"Yeah. There's a special sequence to every car model that starts it without keys or wires. If I remember right…" She pulled the gearshift twice, the emergency brake once, then the gearshift again before the car started.

"'Remember right'?" I repeated as she drove back the way we'd come.

"Uh-huh," she said. "See, when I was twelve a kid at one of my foster homes, Mal, he taught me how to jack cars. I was in that business for a little while, and then I went to Juvy and got into safe-cracking."

"Huh," I said. I clutched the edges of my seat as she swerved around a corner, almost running over a dog. "Where in the hell did you learn to drive?" I demanded.

"Before I started jacking cars, I was a getaway driver."

"Oh, gods, please don't let me die this way," I muttered in prayer as Parker yelled at an old lady in a Cadillac across the street.

**Third Person POV**

The boy woke up to the sound of her screaming. Again. He jumped out of his bed and hurried to hers, where she was sobbing her eyes out.

He kept his distance, holding up his hands. "Shh. It's gonna be okay," he told her, repeating the words he'd said more times than a hundred times. "Do you know me? It's—"

"I know who you are." Her sobs and screams had ceased abruptly, and now she was completely calm, brushing her hair out of her face to look at him.

"Did you dream about them again?" he asked, ignoring her inhuman change of behavior.

She stood up, hand on her forehead. "It's not relevant."

"It's very relevant," the boy said. "I know it's hard, but the more you tell me, the closer I get to figuring out what's wrong—"

"There's nothing wrong," she said. "I just—" She stumbled suddenly, clutching her head and sinking to the floor. She whimpered, looking up at him with sudden tears in her eyes. "What's happening to me?"

The boy held her as she cried, silently cursing whatever was doing this to her. He would find out what was happening to her. Nothing would stop him.

She froze in his arms suddenly, like she was listening to someone. "What is it?" he asked her.

"They're coming closer," she said. "Too close."

"Okay," the boy said simply. He moved their position to another place, far away, where no one would recognize them. Where she would be safe. For now.

**Percy's POV**

When Annabeth and Parker came back, it was in a black, sleek, fancy car I never thought I'd lay my eyes on. Parker had obviously stolen it, but I didn't really care at that second because I was too busy laughing at the fact that Andromeda looked like she was gonna have a heart attack.

As soon as I got inside, I knew this was a car for rich people. Incredibly soft leather seats, gleaming interior, everything. Parker was humming happily, and I didn't blame her. This was a dream car.

Annabeth got behind the wheel (after she insisted that Parker was never going to drive again) and dropped me and Tony off at what turned out to be Tabor Academy.

Not that I cared. School was school, except we got to live at this one. Yippee. We went inside, lied to the principal (he bought it of course. Mortals), and got set up.

So now I spend hours in a really boring class I'm never paying attention to. It's been a few weeks since Tony and me got dropped off. The days went by like molasses, us getting in trouble for falling asleep in class, being late, stuff like that. Actually, the school was like a maze to me, and I've been here for a couple of days.

I woke up one morning feeling crappy. Tony had the bed next to mine; he was snoring, of course. It was way too early for anybody to be up, anyway. I knew I would never fall back asleep, so I got up and tiptoed to the door.

I had to stifle a shriek when I opened it and found a girl standing in its place, staring at me.

Except for her pale blue dress, she was almost colorless. Her skin was snowy white. Her hair and eyes were pitch black. She was staring at me without emotion, her head cocked.

"I know who you are," she said, and like her face, her voice was emotionless.

"What?" I said.

"I know who you are," she repeated. "Bad things. You—" She stopped abruptly and turned her head three seconds before someone spoke.

"Hello?" a boy's voice whispered. "Where did you go?"

"Time to go," the girl said. Then I blinked, and she disappeared. I pinched myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming. I wasn't.

I saw that girl again later that day, when, after getting lost a lot, I got to class early (I was hiding from Tony; I'd stuck a mouse in his bed the night before and he was looking for revenge). She was wearing the same dress, barefoot, walking gingerly from desk to desk, humming a song I would recognize only later as a lullaby from my childhood.

She stopped as soon as I set foot in the room, turning to face me. "Your mother misses you," she said, turning back to her walking. "She knows you have a bleak future, and that makes her sad."

"How would you know that?" I asked, but the girl just kept humming, her calf-length dress swirling around her legs as she stepped lightly from desktop to desktop.

"She doesn't," a slightly familiar voice said. I turned to see a boy sitting at one of the desks, watching the girl nervously. "She doesn't know that."

"Yes, I do," the girl said.

I sat at my own desk, watching her in disbelief. Her feet seemed to barely touch the surface of the desk before moving to the next one. The way she walked was almost like a dance, balletic somehow, poetic.

And that's when the teacher came in, interrupting my weird thoughts. I stiffened. I knew she—Miss Williams—was an empuse; she was beautiful, evil, and she focused all of that evil on me. But, then again, it wasn't just me.

Tony had his own killer teacher—two, actually. They were the assistant principal and the biology teacher. We'd been waiting nervously for them to reveal themselves and try to kill us, but they hadn't done it yet. That was…worrying.

The humming girl froze, her foot hovering in midair between desks. She stared at Miss Williams with wide, black eyes.

Miss Williams looked at the three of us once, then changed. Chalky white skin, red eyes, flaming hair, weird legs. The boy let out a squeak. The girl didn't move at all, just stared at her blankly.

"Perseus Jackson," she hissed. "You must die!"

I pulled out Riptide. "Not on today's agenda, lady." She hissed, and surprisingly, kicked my sword out of my hand. It skidded away. Crap.

A shot rang out. I looked back to see Tony in the doorway, holding a revolver he'd gotten from Annabeth. It held Celestial bronze bullets and refilled themselves whenever he spun it. **[Got that from someone I can't remember, or I'd thank them. Or apologize for using the idea. Whichever.]**

The assistant principal and the biology teacher, in empuse form, appeared and tackled him from behind, hissing. The gun fell to the floor. Tony's leg lashed out, kicking the mortal boy in the head. He fell to the floor, unconscious.

While I was wrestling Miss Williams and trying to keep her fangs away from my throat, I saw that strange girl—who'd been standing on the desk staring at all of us with a strange expression—step down from her perch, walk over to the doorway, and calmly pluck the gun from the floor.

The biology teacher left Tony to get eaten by her sister and hissed at the girl, shifting into a feline crouch. The girl's eyes flashed from her attacker, to Tony's, to mine for less than a fraction of a second each, then squeezed shut.

"Can't look, can't look," she told herself, then raised the gun and shot all three empuses perfectly between the eyes, with her own still closed.

"What the hell?" Tony yelled, coughing up yellow powder.

The boy was talking to the girl in a low voice, taking the gun away from her.

"They're coming," I heard her say.

"What the hell is going on?" I demanded.

"No time," the boy said, pulling the girl to her feet. "Follow us." He turned to the girl. "Find _out_." Her face relaxed.

She turned and climbed up the wall. The boy dragged me and Tony down the hall without another word, ignoring our freaked-out expressions.

I looked up, and was shocked to see the girl on the ceiling, feet braced against the opposite walls, back pressed against the ceiling, hand wrapped around the emergency sprinkler.

"How is she doing that?" I demanded. "Who are you people?"

"I could say the same to you," the boy said.

"Oh, uh, Percy Jackson," I said.

"Tony Staphili," Tony said, staring at the girl on the ceiling.

"I'm Simon," the boy told us. "And that's my sister, Summer. Don't look up," he added as we were doing just that.

"What's wrong with her?" I asked.

"Nothing's _wrong_ with her," Simon said defensively. "She's—"

Summer dropped from the ceiling in front of us, scaring the hell outta me. "Simon."

"Where's out?" Simon said.

Without moving anything else, Summer raised one arm and pointed at an oak door to our right. "There." Her head whipped around to the left suddenly.

"What?" Simon said.

"They're here," Summer said, sounding weirdly like that little girl from _Poltergeist_.

"Who's here?" I asked.

"No time," Simon said again. Summer pushed open the door and all of us followed her, though I was pretty freaked out about her behavior. "Summer—"

"That one." She pointed at a deserted looking van. "The owners went away, to visit their dying mother. They won't miss it." She walked up to the car door and pressed one finger to the lock. The door clicked, and opened for her.

"Do you know how to drive?" Tony asked Simon, eyes wide in disbelief.

"No," he answered. "But Summer might."

"I do now," Summer said, getting into the driver's seat. Simon, Tony, and I climbed in too, even thought Tony and I were almost too scared to move. Summer put her fingers to the ignition; the engine started.

She drove like hell away from the school, the tires screeching so loud she probably woke up the whole academy.

"Where are we going?" Tony asked.

"Call her," Summer ordered.

"Who?" I said.

"Annabeth Chase," she said matter-of-factly. "Call her."

Even Simon looked confused. "Summer, who is that?"

"I don't know," Summer said nonchalantly. "But they do. And we need her."

I glanced at Tony. He nodded at me, still looking stunned. "Do it." So I pulled out the disposable cell phone in my right pocket and dialed Annabeth.

"Hello? Percy?"

"Annabeth, we have a situation," I said.

"Tell her to meet us in Las Vegas, Nevada," Summer said.

"What?" I said. "We can't go to Vegas."

"Why?" Simon asked. "Summer'll find a way to get us there."

"Percy?" Annabeth voice asked. "Are you still there?"

"Yeah," I said.

"Why are you calling? You know how dangerous it is with—"

"I know," I said. "Just…just meet us in Vegas ASAP, okay?"

"What? Percy, are you okay?"

"No time for questions. Ditch your phone and get on the nearest plane. We'll be there in a few days," I told her. We both hung up. I stuck my head through the sun roof and chucked the phone as far as I could.

"Why can't you go to Vegas?" Simon asked.

"It's complicated," Tony and I said together.

"Well, Summer and I know complicated," Simon said. "Look, you explain first, then we will."

"Fine," Tony said. "Percy, why don't you take care of that?"

I shot him a dark look. "Fine. You two ever heard of the Greek gods?"

"They're real, aren't they?" he said to us.

We blinked. "Uh, yeah. We're their kids," Tony said. "How'd you know?"

"When Summer says something, it's best if you believe her," he said darkly.

"Right, well I'm a son of Poseidon," I said, moving on quickly. "And Tony's a son of Dionysus. The entrance to the Underworld is in Las Vegas, so it's best we steer clear from there."

"Your turn," Tony added, gasping a little as Summer swerved on the freeway.

Simon looked like he wished he hadn't promised us that. I noticed Summer's hands tightened dangerously on the wheel as her brother began to explain.

"I'm very smart," Simon began. "My aptitude and IQ tests are off the charts, as are my proclivities. I graduated high school in the top three percent of my class and got accepted into the best medical school in the country, all when I was sixteen. So when I tell you my little sister makes me look like an idiot child, I want you to understand my full meaning. She started speaking in sentences when she was one. She started correcting my spelling when she was three. When she was seven she watched me do my college-level physics homework for hours, then corrected it all in red pen when I got up to pee. There's nothing that doesn't come as easily to her as breathing does to us.

"But, six months ago she…changed. She would have a psychotic outburst out of the blue, or wake up in the middle of the night screaming bloody murder. My parents thought she was schizophrenic and tried to send her to a mental facility, but I knew that wasn't it. It wasn't just the babbling nonsense or the outbursts. She had visions of things that would happen two days later, started knowing personal things about people she'd never met. Suddenly she was a prodigy at hand-to-hand combat and firearms, as you've seen. She senses danger just before it happens, or someone who's going to cause it."

"So…she's psychic?" Tony asked.

"Yes, I think so," Simon said seriously. He turned to her. "Summer, how do we get to Las Vegas?"

"Bad things," Summer murmured. "Bad things no matter how we travel."

"What's the best way?" Simon pressed.

"Demons by land, lightning by air," Summer said, pulling over. She pressed a hand to her temple. "Demons with serpent legs and fangs instead of teeth. With six legs instead of four."

"Dracaenae and hellhounds," Tony confirmed. "She's right. We can't go by plane, or Zeus'll blast us right out of the sky. Land's better than air, but it's still dangerous."

Summer nodded. "Best way." Suddenly she stiffened. She pushed Simon out the door, then thrust out her hand toward Tony and me. We got thrown ten feet away from the car by a wave of sheer force. My vision cleared just in time to see Summer dive out of the car. Seconds later there was a single beep and it exploded.

"Holy shit!" Tony yelled.

"_Di immortales,"_ I muttered.

Summer was on her feet in an instant, running through a park. Simon, Tony, and I struggled to our feet and ran after her.

* * *

**Well? Too weird? I don't think so, but that's just me. Can you guys guess why Summer Todd is so important? Can you guess why I need her? If not, you'll find out soon. Oh, wait a second: ADHD moment- [For those of you who don't know, I get these random moments a lot; it's like I have ADHD.] I got the idea for Summer and Simon Todd off an old cancelled TV show from like 2005 or something.**

**Anyway, don't forget to tell me what you think.**

**~ Alice ~**


	9. Route to Las Vegas, City of Doom

**9/**

"Summer!" Simon called. "Stop!"

"No!" Summer shrieked. She skidded to a stop, then wildly switched directions, running smack into me. She crumpled to the floor. I caught her as she started crying.

"Summer?" I said cautiously.

"Bad things," she moaned. She clutched my arm, sobbing. "Bad things!"

Simon knelt in front of us. He touched her hand gently. "Summer? Do you know me?"

"Simon," she muttered. "Simon, bad things." She started babbling hysterically, crying. "Simon, they talk—they talk to me, in my dreams and they want—they want me to—" I stopped listening. She was freaking me out.

"Shh," Simon said. "Shh, it's okay. They're gone now. They're gone. You're safe."

"Feds!" Tony yelled, running over. "I saw FBI agents crawling all over the car!"

Simon looked at him funny. "They were crawling?"

"Not the point! Run!" We ran. Simon had to pull Summer along, who was still screaming about somebody talking to her.

"FBI!" someone shouted through a megaphone. "Stop and put you hands in the air!"

"Why are the feds after us?" I shouted.

"My parents!" Simon called back. "They want to find us so they can put me in jail and Summer in a mental hospital!"

"Great parents!" I yelled.

"F***!" Tony screamed.

"What?" I called.

"I dropped my revolver!"

"Summer! No!" I turned to see Summer let go of Simon's hand and whirl to face the FBI agents. We all skidded to a stop, turning to go rescue her, but she didn't need it.

She planted her foot on the first guy's chest and did a complete backflip in the air, smoothly kicking the gun out of the next guy's hand, then judo-throwing him over her shoulder. The next guy pointed his gun at her, but she grabbed his arm and changed his position so he shot one of his fellow agents instead of her. She kicked another agent in the face, and did a leg-sweep on all of them; they hit the ground, groaning.

She stamped her foot; Tony's revolver flew into the air. She caught it, turned, and shot the agent who was just trying to get up. Simon's mouth opened to yell something as another agent rose behind her, his hand raised.

But without turning around, she kicked him in the side of the head, then brought her heel down on his spine; it cracked. She bounded past us, and, even though we were scared out of our minds, we ran after her.

We lost her after a minute of running in zigzags throughout the entire park. We finally found her curled up in a car, the engine already running. Simon guessed she wanted us to use the car to go somewhere, and since Tony was the best driver out of all of us, he got behind the wheel and drove us west.

I ended up sitting next to a twitching Summer in the backseat. I kept my distance, not wanting to end up with a bullet in my chest. But I started dozing off. Yeah, right, like I'd get any sleep sitting next to a potential time-bomb. Summer bolted upright, screaming.

I brushed that off. "Hey, Simon, can I ask you a few questions?"

"Shoot," Simon said.

"Uh, why would you go to jail?" Tony asked before I could.

"For kidnapping or some crap like that," Simon answered darkly. "Why? You worried?"

"No," I said truthfully. "If we can handle all the demons that come at us, we can handle a bunch of feds."

"Good," Simon said.

I glanced at Summer to make sure she was asleep before saying, "Simon, what does Summer see?"

He hesitated. "I'm not quite sure. Often she'll wake up in the middle of the night, screaming about…nonsense. Or that was how it seemed. Once she told me that she was walking across the street in a town she didn't know when she got attacked by a dog with six legs and red eyes. Three days later the same thing happened with a teenager in Atlanta. The police claimed she got hit by a car."

"Whoa," I murmured. "Anything else?"

"Uh…"

"A cave." Summer was awake after all, in a fetal position again. She looked at me with wide black eyes. "I was in a cave. A monster." She shivered. "...three heads. Torturing someone." She flinched. "A girl with green eyes."

Tony and I looked at each other. Crap.

"What?" Simon looked between the both of us. "You guys know who Summer is talking about?"

"Yes," I said reluctantly.

"It's Alice, Percy's sister," Tony said. "Daughter of Poseidon, lieutenant of Artemis, Guardian of all demigods. She was kidnapped by the goddess Hecate a few days ago. She hasn't come back yet."

"Damn," Simon said.

"Simon, language," Summer said. She looked at me. "She isn't hurting. She'll come back. She knows how."

"Thanks, Summer," I lied. "That's really assuring."

"That's Summer for ya," Simon said.

Summer smiled. I wasn't sure if I liked her at all—I mean, as in if I wanted her around.

"You don't," Summer said, as if reading my mind. "But you will."

**Annabeth's POV**

"Who was that?" Parker asked me.

I snapped the phone shut and smashed it under my foot. "Percy. We have go to Las Vegas."

She blinked. "Isn't that…bad?"

"Yes," I said, resisting the urge to roll my eyes. "But he said they'll explain when we get there, so come on. How much money do we have left?"

She checked. "Not enough for two plane tickets, but I could—"

"No," I said. "We are not robbing a bank on the way to the airport."

She pouted. "Fine. Can I at least lift a couple of wallets?"

"Okay," I relented. "But you have to put them back after you get the money, okay?"

"Yes!" she grinned. "Wait around an hour and come meet me in the park a few blocks down, okay? I'll have the money _and_ the car." She ran off. I shook my head. Then I went to class, which happened to be English.

"Now, class," the teacher, Mr. Robbins, began. "Today we will be studying the Greek myth of Perseus and the Gorgons."

Perfect. I sighed, set down my pencil, and pretended to listen to Mr. Robbins as I stared out the window. I glanced at the clock, then suddenly remembered I was supposed to meet Parker. Shit.

I couldn't just use my hat, which was sitting safely in my pocket. No, someone might notice my absence and freak out… I looked around the room. Perfect! An open window. Now all I needed was a distraction…

"Mr. Robbins?" It was the principal, at the door. Mr. Robbins went outside to talk to her, closing the door behind him nicely.

Thank the gods I sat in the very back of the class. I eased out of my chair and tossed my backpack out the window.

"Where ya goin?"

I jumped. Stan Royce was staring at me, like the rest of the class. "Where does it look like, Sherlock?" I said. "I'm ditching."

"But you're Annabeth Chase. You never ditch," he protested.

"How would you know?" I countered. "I'm just going to meet up with a friend, okay? Back off." I dived out the window, safely rolling to my feet. I slung my backpack over my shoulder and started walking down the street, waiting until I was out of sight of the school before I could use my hat.

But just as I was pulling it out of my pocket, someone called my name. I turned. Dammit! It was Stan. Cursing under my breath, I bolted for the house across the street. I hopped the fence and pressed my back to the wall of the garage. I peeked out. Jack was nowhere to be seen.

Great. I sighed. I put on my hat. I adjusted my invisible backpack over my invisible shoulder and started for the park, which, according to the signs I just saw, was a block over.

Walking, walking, walking. Thank the gods no one could see me. As soon as I caught sight of the park, I took off my hat, stuffing it in my pocket.

The black car Parker had stolen a few days ago swerved up to the curb in front of me, tires screeching.

"Whoa," someone said. I turned to see...Stan Royce. How could he have followed me? He stared at me. "You going to a tea party or a funeral?"

"Come any closer and it could be both," I replied, opening the door.

I turned on the radio, bored. I groaned when _Highway to Hell_ came on and Parker started singing, but pretty soon I was singing with her. I was so occupied I barely registered the notion that ACDC had no idea how right they were. Highway to hell, exactly where we were going.

**Percy's POV**

For the past hour we'd been listening to Summer whimper in the backseat, all in her sleep. But now she sat up. "Percy."

I turned around to look at her. "What?"

"We need something before we get to Las Vegas," Summer said, her eyes weirdly blank.

"What is it?" Simon asked.

"I don't know yet," she said. She closed her eyes.

"What was that all about?" Tony asked.

"I have no idea," Simon said, staring at Summer. "But if I know my sister at all—which I barely do, by the way—it's that she'll tell us when she's ready."

* * *

**A Few Hours Later...**

"Simon." It was Summer. Her black eyes were blank, and she seemed to be getting faint. "It's…starting…again…" Her eyes rolled up into her head and she passed out—in my lap.

"Oh, crap, it's happening again," Simon said. He scrambled to switch seats with me, zipping open a black bag I hadn't noticed he had. He pulled out a syringe, filled it with some clear liquid, and carefully stuck the needle in Summer's arm..

"What is that?" Tony asked, eyeing them in the rearview mirror.

"Pure adrenaline," Simon answered, and pushed the plunger down.

Summer went rigid like she was being electrocuted, then bolted upright, gasping. She started hyperventilating; she curled up in a ball and covered her face with hands that were shaking so badly they were a blur.

"What the hell just happened?" Tony demanded as Summer started crying hysterically.

"She gets these weird fazes when she has her visions," Simon said as he tried to calm her down. "Her heart literally stops."

"_Di immortales,"_ I muttered. "So you give her adrenaline? Isn't that bad?"

"I just give her enough to restart her heart," Simon said defensively. "Except every time I do, this happens." He gestured to Summer's shaking, hyperventilating form.

He went back to trying to calm her, holding up his hands in an 'I surrender' motion. "Summer? It's me, Simon."

"They're talking to me again," she sobbed. "Trying to tell me what to do. I don't want to! I don't want to, Simon!"

"Summer? Summer!" he grabbed her hands. "What did you see?"

"Everything gone," she moaned. "Everything falls. Lost to fire, lost to all."

"What? Summer_, what did you see?_" Simon was losing his cool.

I was about to stop him, but Summer went on, "A room that glows in a palace that gleams, press one button and everyone screams."

She was talking in rhymes, I realized. Suddenly she screamed and started thrashing, puling her hands from Simon's grip. Hurriedly he got another syringe and yelled, "Hold her!"

I tried to, but she kept kicking me in the head. "OW! Summer STAY STILL!" I grabbed her arms just long enough for Simon to stab the syringe into her neck and inject her with something. Her movements got weaker. Her eyelids fluttered, then she passed out.

"_What the hell?"_ Tony exploded.

"I have no idea," Simon said, staring down at her. "I've been studying her for more than—"

"Not that—THAT!" he swerved to avoid the giant mass that intercepted our route. He stepped on the brakes and everyone threw themselves out of the car just as a giant fist smashed it into a pancake.

Summer was still unconscious, her already-white face getting paler. Simon dragged her off the road as Tony and I drew our swords against the biggest giant I had ever seen.

"What is that?" I screamed to Tony.

"I have no f***ing idea!" he screamed back. "Gods, I wish Annie was here!"

_Me too_, I thought as I dodged the giant's club. I stabbed it in the leg. It was raising its giant foot to squash me into a Percy-pancake when Tony sliced off one of its toes.

Boy, I never thought a roar could turn my brain to mush like that. My vision blurred like my eyes were being knocked around in my head, but I managed to get my sword back as the giant was trying to kill Tony.

"How do we kill it?" I yelled.

"I don't know!" he shouted. "How bout the eyes?"

Oh, okay. Even for the mentally-challenged Tony, that wasn't a bad idea. I climbed on its foot, then, disgustingly, up its leg. I managed to leap onto its hand as it tried to smack me away, then crawled up its arm and to its shoulder.

I saw Tony on the other shoulder, panting and gagging. I didn't blame him. Together we raised our swords and stabbed the giant in the eyes.

Okay, not the best idea. We free-fell to the ground screaming as the giant disintegrated into yellow powder. I was waiting to hit the ground and become a puddle of Percy when a convertible swerved below us, the roof down. _Oh, crap,_ I thought as Tony and I hit the seats. Pain shot through me.

"OW!" we squealed together.

The girl in the driver's seat turned to grin at me. "What up, Percy?"

_"__Parker?"_

"Howdy," she grinned. She turned to Annabeth, who was sitting in the front seat. "See? I told you so. That SUV wouldn't have come in handy, would it?"

Annabeth rolled her eyes. Simon came up to the car, pulling Summer by the hand. Annabeth's gray eyes widened when she saw them. "Percy, who is this?" she asked.

"Simon and Summer Todd," I said.

"Demigods?"

"No," Tony said. "Mortals with good eyes."

She sighed in exasperation. "You guys, what are we going to do with these two? Did you explain already?"

"Yeah," Tony said.

_"Anoitoi," _Annabeth muttered in Greek** ["fools"]**, then switched to English: "Look, we can't take care of these two! We've gone AWOL, remember? Jared Bennett out for revenge? Elizia the drakon thirsty for blood? Does that even register with you guys?"

"Uh _dur_," Tony said defensively, crossing his arms. "We're not _that_ dumb."

"Could've fooled me," Annabeth countered.

"Just get in," I told Simon. Ten seconds later we were all squished together. Summer was conscious, finally, and I think kind of normal, but I knew how she could be.

"Did you say AWOL?" Simon asked as Parker started to drive. "From where?"

"Camp Half-Blood," I explained reluctantly. "It's a special camp for us, where we're kind-of-safe."

"Why did you leave?" he said.

"A lie that ends in a man-hunt," Summer said, dazed.

Annabeth seemed surprised. "She's right," she said to Simon. "We lied to one of the guys tracking Percy's missing sister. When he found out they all freaked and tried to punish all of us, so we left. We have to rescue Alice before Jared Bennett and the war crew catch up to us or we're pretty much screwed."

Simon nodded thoughtfully. "Okay, I think I got it."

Parker glanced weirdly at Summer in the rearview mirror, who was leaning over the side of the car and staring at the road. "Are you okay?" she asked her.

"There are no patterns in the pebbles," Summer said, sounding confused. "The sequence is completely random. I'm trying to count them but you're driving too fast."

"Okay, what's wrong with her?" Parker said, her eyes going to me.

"No idea," I said. "But she's psychic."

"Really, Percy?" Annabeth said. "Psychic?"

Summer turned to look at her. "No need to be afraid, Annabeth. All will be well."

We stared at her. "How does she know my name?" Annabeth demanded.

"I know all about you," Summer said. Annabeth's mouth opened and closed in disbelief. Then she turned around in a huff.

We sat in silence for what seemed like forever, Andromeda still tensed, Parker driving, Tony snoring and Simon babysitting. Summer was the only one who was, well, happy. I knew she could go off at any second though. And unluckily for me, that was this second.

Summer started humming. It sounded like a lullaby, kind of. She muttered something to Simon, who got a confused look on his face. "What does that even mean?" he asked her.

"What?" Annabeth said, her voice finally gentler than before.

"Just her litanies again," Simon assured us. To me it sounded like he was the one who needed assuring.

"No it isn't," Summer said. "We're going the wrong way," she added to Parker.

"Which way do we need to go?" Annabeth asked.

"Ask Thomas," Summer smiled. "He knows."

"Who's Thomas?" Tony said.

But Summer had gone back to humming that weird song again, and she wouldn't answer anybody anymore.

"Stop," she said suddenly.

Parker hit the brakes. "What now?"

She pointed to the left. Three seconds later we heard barking. All of us paled.

"Why are we scared about a bunch of dogs?" Simon asked, confused.

"Those are no dogs," I said.

"Hellhounds," Annabeth said.

"Ten of them," Summer added, just as the pack broke from the trees. For a few seconds we stared at them in terror.

"Screw this; we're outta here," Parker said, punching the gas.

"Can't run," Summer murmured, but no one else heard her.

"Andy, got any more grenades?" Tony yelled over the wind.

"What do you think? And don't call me that!" She tossed him a few silver balls, which glowed and transformed into grenades. Then she stood up in her seat, pulled the pins, and threw them back. They exploded on impact, disintegrating more than a few hellhounds.

A few throws from Tony, and there were three hellhounds left. And they were gaining on us.

"What now?" Tony shouted.

"I have no idea!" Annabeth shouted back.

"Somebody think of something!" I yelled. Big mistake. Summer looked at me once, then did something I never thought she was insane enough to do.

She jumped off the car.

"Summer!" Simons screamed.

She landed on one of the hellhound's backs, unharmed. She was holding a familiar bronze sword in her hand. I checked my pocket. Dammit! How'd she get my sword?

Annabeth's eyebrows scrunched together. "Percy, isn't that—?"

"Don't need to say it!" I snapped.

Summer stabbed the hellhound with my sword, then flipped backward onto the next one as the first disintegrated. That one was gone in seconds. Simon stood up in his seat. _"Manteio tou Theou iliou, ypno!" _he yelled in a language I didn't know. Summer's eyes rolled up into her head and she collapsed into the car.

"Did that just happen?" I asked.

"I think so," Simon said, scratching his head. "I've never seen her do that."

"What did you say?" Andromeda asked.

"I don't know," he said. "It's a safe word that makes her fall asleep." We all stared at each other.

* * *

"Thank the gods," I groaned as walked into the run-down motel room. The three rooms we'd gotten would've cost us everything, but Summer smiled once at the manager and he'd given us a killer discount.

"Ditto," Tony agreed as he went straight for the bed.

"Uh-uh," I told him, grabbing his collar. "My turn." I shoved him toward the closet. I barely listened to a minute of his whining before I fell asleep.


	10. the Music Box

**Hey, guys. Damn, is it Friday already? God, I didn't even write the second paragraph...of chapter 17! I got you, huh? Huh?**

**Oh, you can't blame me for my very bad attempt at even worse humor. Even with the A/C, my house is boiling. And I'm bored. NOT a good combonation for someone as hyperactive as me. Anyway, you have no idea how glad I am to be updating. I'm sure you guys are too.**

**I just have soooo much homework-and its the second week of school. Or, the end of the second week of school. Whatever. Well, I should stop blabbering and just give you guys the chapter...**

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**10/**

**Summer's POV**

Hello. You probably already know this, but I'm Summer Todd. And I'm definitely _not_ normal.

What makes me 'not normal'? Even I'm not sure. Visions raid my mind, dreams disturb my sleep, and the outcome is…strange.

I _know_ things. When I was younger I used to know all the girls my brother liked, for example. Or the answers to the pop quiz the teacher hadn't popped yet. How do I know? Don't ask me. The universe speaks to me, in a language only I can understand. I know everything exactly when I need to know it, including every single fact about my new companions on sight.

Annabeth Olivia Chase, daughter of Athena and mortal Frederick Chase, who is currently a well-liked historian. I know she wants to be an architect, that she hates her sister Anne Grey, and that she could logic herself out of almost any situation. I know she had an unrealistically hard childhood with her father, and that her best friend was once a tree.

Perseus Neroh Jackson, son of Poseidon and mortal Sally Jackson. I know he misses his mother and stepfather, Paul Blofis, and even his stepsister, Sam Blofis. I know he didn't have a very good childhood, as his mother struggled to keep them both afloat in a rundown apartment without much to do. I know he has a tendency to get into trouble, and I know he would describe it as "No matter how hard I try to lose it, trouble always finds me".

Phäethon No-Middle-Name Staphili, son of Dionysus and mortal Celine Staphili. 'Tony' to the others, he bore no resemblance to his namesake, instead carrying secrets of a dark past even I will not speak of. His mother was a drunk, not surprisingly, and ignored him throughout his whole childhood. Despite the neglect, I observed he managed to keep up a playful and teasing manner at all times, much to the subconscious delight of our companions.

Parker Amanda Larcener, daughter of Hermes and mortal Andrea Larcener, also had a past of secrets, though not nearly as morbid as Tony's. Hers consisted of a number felonies I'm afraid to count—none of which she has been convicted of, or recognized for. At all. In fact, the FBI and CIA believe she is a man. Her mother knew of her near-kleptomaniac need to steal, and didn't bother to stop her; she encouraged it. Now Parker Larcener is one of the greatest thieves in the world.

I also knew the names of the people I would meet later on, but I don't think I should drone on about them until I've actually met them.

"Three of your cheapest rooms, please," Annabeth said, drawing me from my thoughts. She was talking to the motel manager, an oily, porky man with glasses.

He glanced up at her. "That'll be over a hundred dollars, missy. Got enough?"

He knew as well as I that we definitely didn't have enough money. I frowned. He glanced at me. As soon as his eyes met mine, I knew everything he was thinking. I gained access to the frontal lobe of his brain and changed his train of thought quickly. I smiled.

"Er, on second thought, we don't really use those rooms," he said to Annabeth. "Go ahead and take them. For free." He dropped the keys into her hand.

Her mouth dropped. "Um, thank you…sir."

The man nodded, his eyes blank, and walked away. I smiled. We split into pairs I had already anticipated: Andromeda and Parker, Percy and Tony, me and Simon.

Simon being Simon, he waited until he thought I was asleep to actually go to bed. Typical. My brother had always taken care of me, even though I believe he was starting to think I didn't need it.

I didn't want to sleep; I kept having strange visions. But there was nothing I could do to avoid them. Even when Simon gave me some of his medicine, I had dreams and nightmares. I tried to hide them from him, but sometimes the fear just took over and I couldn't help it.

I listened to Simon's deep breathing in the bed next to mine as I lay in the dark, staring at the window. I sensed Percy and Tony in the room to the left of ours, Percy dreaming, Tony snoring in the closet. I switched to the room on the right; Annabeth muttering about architecture, Parker unsurprisingly absent.

I stiffened. I cursed internally as I felt it coming—another vision. My eyes closed against my will. I felt the cool fog of the vision set in, chilling me to the bone. My eyes flashed open, and somehow I knew they were misty gray.

Through my enhanced eyes, I saw I wasn't sitting in the motel room, listening to Simon snore. I...

I almost screamed when I found myself in that place again; the cave deeper than the Underworld, colder than ice, eviler than Uranus himself. I shivered. Cold. It seemed to get colder whenever I was dragged here. Thank the gods I was invisible.

I turned. And froze. There she was. The girl with green eyes. I knew who she was already: Alice, daughter of Poseidon, lieutenant of Artemis, Zeus-appointed Guardian of demigods, prisoner of Hecate.

Suddenly that tune entered my mind; the notes seemed to swirl around my eyes. I began humming, almost against my will. Alice lifted her head and looked at the spot I was standing, almost as if she could see me.

"The music box," she whispered, and the answers exploded through my brain.

The music box.

**Summer's POV**

I woke up sobbing. I was covered in icy sweat. Somehow I managed not to scream. I didn't want to wake Simon.

That thought calmed me. Simon. I looked over at him, sleeping soundly, unaware of my mind-jarring vision. I hugged myself, shuddering. But I knew what I had to do.

I got out of bed silently, slipping on a cardigan against the cold air. I sensed that everyone in the motel was asleep, with the exception of the manager downstairs. I quietly stepped onto the fire escape, shutting the window behind me.

I closed my eyes, trying to sense where his room was. I got it. I climbed up the staircase to the room just above and to the left of mine. The window was open. I slipped through.

Percy was asleep on the single bed. Tony was snoring in the closet. I crept closer. Putting out a shaking white hand, I grabbed his shoulder. "Percy."

His eyes flew open. In the blinding dark, he whipped out his sword and tried to pin me to the floor, only to get a hard punch to the throat and his legs swept out from under him. He hit the floor with a thud, choking and coughing.

"Oops," I muttered to myself.

"Percy?" Tony's sleeping voice jerked me from my crouch. Crap! I launched myself off the wall and onto the ceiling, hoping Tony wouldn't see me.

The closet door opened and Tony came out, rubbing his eyes. They widened when he saw Percy choking on the floor. "Percy! Are you okay?" He raised his friend to a sitting position and clapped him on the back.

Percy's eyes flashed to me in the corner as he tried to get his voice back; I raised a finger to my lips in silent warning. A light of understanding entered his eyes; they left mine when he drank the water Tony got him. "I'm fine," he said, his voice hoarse. "Choked on something."

Tony watched him warily, then shrugged, yawning. "Well, I'm heading back to bed. You have fun choking."

Percy let out a laugh, but it sounded strangled. Tony waved at him and went back into the closet. Soon I heard him snoring. I dropped from the ceiling.

"What the hell?" Percy demanded in a whisper. He rubbed his throat.

"Sorry," I whispered. "You startled me."

"So you punch me in the neck?"

"You startled me," I repeated. "That kind of blow stuns the vocal cords; no screams, no help. Had you been someone else, you'd probably be dead."

"Gee, thanks," he said sarcastically. "Why are you here?"

"Jason Ashby is in trouble," I said.

His face hardened. "Trouble? What kind of trouble?"

"Kidnapped," I replied. I cocked my head, listening. "Jason should be calling in three, two, one—"

An Iris-message formed in front of us, revealing Jason. I knew it was him, though I had never seen him before. Electric blue eyes, curling black hair, a band of freckles across a straight nose. The trademark features of a child of Zeus.

Percy stared at me in shock. "How did you—?"

"What happened?" Tony burst out of the closet. "Jason? Summer?"

"Percy!" Jason blurted. "Kidnapped by a Cyclops at a mortal school in Ohio! You gotta help!"

"Summer, you're coming with us. Can you get us a car?" Percy said.

I listened again. "Yes," I said finally. "The northeast corner of the parking lot. No one will miss it."

"Let's go, then," Tony said. I led the way down to the parking lot, careful not to wake anyone else. I pressed one finger to the lock; the tumblers moved at my command, opening the doors instantly. I smiled.

I started the engine for Tony, and he began to drive like a maniac, heading where I pointed. Twenty minutes later he swerved up to the steps of the school, nearly throwing everyone out of the car.

I stepped out. The concrete was cold against my bare feet. The wind blew my hair around my face. It was still dark, the sun barely rising. I slowly followed the boys up the staircase, each step hard and icy. I surveyed the landscape with suspicion; something didn't feel quite right…

**

* * *

Ooh. An exclusive look at Summer's visions? Jason trapped? What else could go wrong? Everything. I like answering my own questions. Isn't that right? Yes. **

**Ha. So, my readers, don't forget to review. Tell me what you think, I don't care how little of you there are. *sigh* The deep depression of no one caring about my fanfic. So sad...**

**~ Alice ~**


	11. Rescue Mission

**Hey, guys! So, quick announcement: some of you may have noticed the changes to my fanfic that don't match the actual PJO books. As I find this annoying to read myself, I shouldn't be a hypocrite, so from this point forth, almost everything should be lined up exactly like the books. I only changed it in the first place 'cause I'd never known about f a n f i c t i o n . c o m and thought I'd get sued or something for using Rick's ideas, so I tried to change them so…well, you get the picture. **

**Anyway, the "house" with all rooms will now be separate cabins, as it should be. And also, how many of you think I should switch out Andromeda with Annabeth? Again, the only reason I have Andromeda is because of the irrational suing fear. And it's a better name, in my opinion. So, if you think I should switch it out, review and tell me. Thanks, now enjoy!**

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**11/**

**Percy's POV**

"Okay," I said when we got out of the car. "Where's Jason?" I surveyed the old school in front of me in suspicion.

"Kidnapped, remember?" Summer reminded me. Her expression changed from amused to trance-like. "Damn, another...vision..._l mousiki kouti,"_ she said suddenly in Ancient Greek. _"l mousiki kouti."_ She spoke like she was in a trance.

"'The music box'?" Tony translated. "What music box?"

"I have no idea," I replied. "Summer, are you okay?"

"Bad things," she whispered. She bolted to her feet suddenly, her eyes changing from misty gray to normal black.

"Summer, where are you going?" I called after her, but she was running up the steps to the school without another glance.

By the time Tony and me got to where she was standing, we were practically coughing our guts out. Summer, her face blank, whirled around and pulled something from Tony so fast her hand was a blur. Almost as soon as she turned away, his pants dropped.

"Hey!"

I burst out laughing when I saw his boxers. He scowled as I doubled over laughing my lungs out.

By the time we stopped, I was surprised to see Summer scaling the building, Tony's belt slung around her neck. She was, like, fifteen feet off the ground already. We watched her as she climbed higher and higher, finally using Tony's belt like a grappling hook to catapult herself through an open window.

"I think she just learned how to be a gymnast," I said.

"That's a complete load of bullsh—!" That last part was because his belt hit him in the head. He passed out at my feet.

I sighed. I dragged him behind a pillar.

Five minutes later the ground shook. The ground opened up in front of us, revealing a huge, yawning cavern—with a big boulder blocking the mouth. Suddenly the boulder rolled aside, like it was obeying someone.

"Whoa," I said.

"Think Summer did that?" Tony said.

"There was a button on George Washington's boot," a voice said. We jumped at the voice and turned to see Summer standing behind us, staring at the dark cave.

"Right…" Tony said finally. He looked at me. "Let's go."

"I'm staying here," Summer said, hugging herself. "No good will come of that cave."

"I'm going in," I said. I nodded at Tony, and we started into the dark.

"Good luck!" Summer called after us, her voice echoing off the walls.

Maybe it was because of sleep-deprivation, or the lack of food, but I thought I heard her mutter, "You'll need it to defeat _him_."

"Sometimes I think we should just lock that chick up in an asylum," Tony remarked, pulling me back to the present.

I grinned. "Do you have any idea what an asylum is?"

He grinned back. "A tuna factory?" We laughed and bumped fists, but then we heard the growling of an animal and the roaring of a monster.

We drew our weapons and ran deeper into the cave. I was so focused on not tripping and dying in the dark I didn't notice the cave collapsing behind us. Not until too late.

When we got to the end of the pitch-black tunnel, we found exactly what we expected. Jason was okay, lying off to the side with a swollen ankle. A huge Cyclops with one eye [obviously] was stirring a big pot suspiciously.

Tony ran over to Jason. I scowled. Cheater. I ran to attack the Cyclops, but it wasn't easy. I was forced to dogdge as it spotted Tony with Jason.

It roared at him. "Away from food!" It kicked him into a wall.

"Tony!" I yelled. The monster roared again, and instead turned to me. Oh, crap. It picked me up and threw me across the cave.

I smacked into the cold wall; I heard something break in my chest. The next thing I knew I was lying face-down in the dirt, my head on some rocks, my vision blurred and the world spinning. I couldn't get up. I felt the warm spreading of blood at my temple.

"Percy, dude!" Jason voice revolved around my ears. "Are you okay?"

I couldn't answer him. I felt like I couldn't move, just watch through fuzzy vision. Jason sat up from his spot by one of the torches and threw a knife I didn't know he had. It embedded itself in the Cyclops's leg, who growled and kicked him away.

He landed three feet away from me with a grunt. "Damn you Cyclopes to Tartarus!" he shouted at him. "Yo, Percy, man, you all right?"

"I'm…fine," I muttered.

"Do you have any ambrosia? Or nectar?"

"In…my pocket," I managed. The cave wouldn't stop swirling. Stars began to twinkle in front of my eyes. Jason dragged himself closer and dug around in my jacket pockets until he found a couple of squashed-up squares of baked ambrosia.

"Eat it," he said, throwing it into my mouth. My eyes widened.

To be honest, I'd never eaten nectar or ambrosia; I just knew that I had to keep some with me at all times. Or, that's what Annabeth told me, at least.

It tasted like…chocolate chip cookies. My mom's blue chocolate chip cookies, buttery and hot, with the chips still melting. **[I know, I took that from the books, but whatever. It would've been worse if I made something else up. Right?]**

Immediately my head stopped hurting. My vision focused. I sat up. Jason looked pleased with himself. I glanced behind him, then shoved him out of the way just as a massive boulder meant for Tony hit the spot where we once sat. I gave him some ambrosia for his ankle.

The Cyclops's roar of pain drew my attention; I watched in amazement as Tony clawed his way up the Cyclops and stabbed it in the eye.

After it disintegrated, he came over, grinning and stumbling.

"Dude, you okay?" I said, steadying him.

He shook his head like a wet dog. "I'm good. What about him?" He nodded at Jason.

"He's fine," I said.

"We need to leave."

Tony and I both squealed and jumped back at the sound of the voice we knew all too well. It was Summer.

She looked at us funny. "What is it?"

Tony clapped a hand to his chest. "Gods, do you always pop out of nowhere like that?" he complained.

Summer looked puzzled. "Yes."

"What's wrong?" I said quickly, changing the subject.

"We need to leave _now_," she said.

"What? Why?" Tony asked.

"They've moved Dominic Parsons."

* * *

Great. We were all crammed in a boat.

That's right. I said boat. Parker had somehow managed to steal a mini RV, which happened to be pulling a boat behind it. Parker, Tony, and Simon got to be in the cab and me, Jason, Summer, and Annabeth in the shallow boat, glaring every time Parker almost threw us out.

"This sucks," Annabeth said, instinctively grabbing Jason's shoulder when the boat jolted.

"I hear you," I sighed, pulling my knees up to my chest. I glanced over at Summer. "Where did you say Dominic was?"

She didn't bother to look up at me; she was staring at the skyline, lost in thought. "I don't know," she murmured. "Not yet." She shuddered. "I know it's not good."

I rubbed my arms to try to get warm. Summer's inhuman changes of attitude were still creeping me out. She went from almost dead, to thoughtful, to active all in a few minutes. And that wasn't the half of it.

"You have no idea," she muttered, reading my mind. I would never get used to that. I looked away.

Jason was dozing off already, his head drooping back and forth until finally he fell forward into Annabeth's lap. Her expression turned murderous; I shook my head at her to stop her from killing him. She didn't look too happy, but she left him alone.

I sighed. Summer rapped on the back window of the RV suddenly. "Take this exit!" she called to Parker.

"Heads up!" I yelled. Everybody grabbed the sides as Parker followed Summer's instructions, almost throwing us off the boat—again. "Do you where we're going now?" I asked Summer. She nodded absently. I didn't want to ask where, but luckily Annabeth stepped in for me.

"Summer, where exactly are you directing us to?" she asked.

Summer turned her strange black eyes on her. "Somewhere dangerous," she answered. "Somewhere bad."

"What is it?" Annabeth pressed. "A restaurant? A house? A mall?"

Summer blinked. Her expression went confused. "A garden," she murmured as we bumped up and down the street. "STOP!" she screamed suddenly.

Parker slammed on the brakes at her words. Tony's face got to eat the back window almost immediately. Jason fell over the side of the boat. I ended up sprawled on the wooden boards. Annabeth, of course, was fine.

"Ohh," Tony groaned, peeling his face off the glass.

"What happened?" Jason said, sitting up from his spot in the street.

No one answered him. We were staring at the warehouse **[was it a warehouse?]** just to the left of us, a huge neon sign blaring. It was deathly silent. After a lot of squinting, the sign read: _Aunty Em's Garden Gnome Emporium_. **[tee hee. Geddit?]**

I hopped out of the truck. "Is this it?" I asked Summer.

She nodded. "Yes," she murmured. "Not good." She shivered.

"I think it's best if you two stay here," Annabeth told Simon and Summer. "You're just mortals."

"I'll stay too," Parker said. "Don't trust them with my new car anyway."

"Agreed," Simon said calmly. "We'll have the truck running."

Annabeth, me, Tony, and Jason all trooped toward the doors, flanked by two grinning gnomes. The eyes seemed to follow me creepily wherever I stood. I tried to ignore that.

The bell on the door jingled when we opened it, but no one came over to us. The place was covered with a thick layer of dust and cobwebs, giving it a century-old look. The smell that attacked my nose seemed familiar, like I should know it or something, but I couldn't put my finger on it. I shrugged it off.

Everywhere I looked was a stone statue. Girls, boys, animals, you name it. Each one had the same chilling expression on its face: horrified.

"Oh! Ice cream!" Tony's voice cut through the silence, and my thoughts. He ran over to a cooler and threw open the lid. "EEEEEEH!" he squealed immediately. The lid slammed shut, hiding the pile of squirming black rats from view.

We laughed at him. "Now what?" Jason said.

"Let's split up," Annabeth suggested. "Check everything."

I wasn't so sure about that, but everyone else agreed right away before I could say anything. So we split up.

The air rang with silence. There was no one in sight. My eyes flicked back and forth nervously, with a fear I would never admit out loud. I shivered. I didn't like how the cobwebby hedges made an impossible-to-solve labyrinth, creepy statues around every corner, staring at me.

I pulled out Riptide; the familiar glow of the magic blade made me feel safer instantly. I should have known how wrong that feeling was.

**Tony's POV**

Ugh, everything was so gross here! I swear, every time I met a statue's carved eyes, shivers went up and down my spine. I held my revolver nervously, my fingers clutching it so hard my knuckles where white.

Why did I agree to this? Damn you Annie! Why did she have to say "split up"? The splashing of water caught my attention; I rounded a corner silently, relaxing when I realized it was just a small stone fountain.

My eyes widened. Jackpot! The bottom was covered with a thick layer of drachmas. I immediately started scooping them into my pockets. Man, what I would buy... A creak behind me interrupted my drachma-snatching.

I whirled around, revolver cocked. I lowered it when I saw the statue standing just behind me. I laughed. "It looks just like my uncle Ferdinand!" I said to no one in particular. I marveled at the resemblance, poking the stone mole on the statue's forehead. "Wow, they even got the mole in the right place," I said, chuckling. I grinned, and laughed again. "But that can't be my uncle Ferdinand, 'cause my uncle Ferdinand got killed by…" I stopped, realizing what I was saying.

Where were we again? I thought for a second. Leeds Point, New Jersey. Aunty Em's Garden Gnome Emporium.

Aunty Em.

Aunty 'M'.

I ran back the way I came, accidently knocking over statues as I skidded through the dead-leafy maze. "Percy!" I yelled. "Andy! Jason!"

"Tony?" Percy's voice came through a wall of leaves.

I slid to a stop. "Percy, we gotta go!"

"What? Did you find something?"

"Yeah! We gotta get the hell outta here!" I shouted. "Run!"

"Percy? Tony?" Annabeth's voice, from the other side. "Where are you?"

"AHHHHH!" Jason's voice.

"RUN!" I screamed. I whirled around to hightail it the hell out of there, but ran into….

"Hello, child."

I tried to scream, but all that came out was a little squeak. The tall woman in black laughed, then breathed deeply. "Son of Dionysus." She wore all black leather, with boots and everything. A black turban covered her head and sunglasses hid her eyes. I knew what was behind them.

"Tony, where are you?" Jason yelled from somewhere close.

Medusa sniffed. "A son of Zeus," she said in an interested voice.

"Um, Medusa, ma'm?" I managed. Her head whipped around to me. "We're only here to find a friend…"

Her eyebrow rose. "Indeed? The young son of Ares?" She turned around thoughtfully. "It's my job to keep him here, child. They thought I would be the best...prison guard."

I took a step back; a stick crunched under my foot. Medusa's head turned to me again. "Don't fret," she told me in a low, seductive voice. "It won't—"

The grunt of somebody tripping interrupted her, and Annabeth fell through the hedge. Oh, crap!

Medusa was bound to hate her once she found out that Annie was a daughter of Athena.

_What? _You want me to explain that _now?_ Fine, fine! Get that kielbasa out of my face! Medusa and Poseidon used to date a millennia or so ago, and they met up in Athena's temple once for a…date, and then Athena caught them and got mad so she turned Medusa into a monster that could turn people to stone with her eyes. Geddit?

I pulled Annie to her feet. Medusa stiffened. "Daughter of Athena," she snarled. See? I told you so.

"Don't look!" Annie shouted as Medusa's hand twitched toward her face. I slammed my eyes shut. I heard the snakes' hissing get louder.

"Hmm," Medusa murmured from somewhere to my left. Her cold fingers suddenly raked my cheek, making me jump. "Tony," she purred. "I hear you still have that…object you took. You don't have to be a tool of the gods. You can stay here, with me."

I stiffened. How could she know…?

"Don't you dare open your eyes," Annabeth warned.

I could almost feel Medusa's lips by my ear. "All you have to do is…_look_," she breathed. Her voice seeped into my brain. I relaxed.

"Tony, if you look, I will kill you, go down to the Underworld, bring you back to life, then kill you again and throw your soul in Tartarus," Annabeth threatened.

My eyes shut tighter. Annie's threats against Medusa's suggestion was an easy choice hands-down. Medusa snarled. Her fingers left my face.

"Go, son of Dionysus!" she snapped. "Never return. I have no need for you." She pushed me, forcing Annabeth's hand out of mine. "Go!"

I scrambled away, leaving my friend in the clutches of Medusa. I had to find Percy.

**Percy's POV**

I swear, Tony's voice had no source. I went down countless paths trying to find him, but I found nothing. Jason vanished too. And Andromeda.

"Percy! Percy!" Tony's voice was suddenly very, very close.

"Tony? Tony, where are you!" I yelled.

"Here!"

I skidded to a stop, changed directions, and broke into a sprint. I saw a fountain up ahead, but only for a second, 'cause I got bowled over by Tony three seconds later.

"OW!" we shouted together.

"Watch where you're going, Percy!" he said.

"What are you talking about? _You_ hit _me!_" I said.

He threw up his hands. "Screw it! Come on!" He grabbed my hand and dragged me back the way he'd come.

"Why are we going farther in? Isn't the exit that way?" I said, trying not to trip.

He barely paid attention to me. "Detour! Annabeth's in trouble!"

"What?" I said. "Trouble?"

"Yeah! Medusa's got her!"

"Medu—whoa!" I yanked him to a stop. "Medusa's _here_?"

"This is her lair, man!"

"TONY! PERCY!" It was Jason. "WHERE ARE YOU?" Tony and me looked at each other, then took off in the direction of his voice. The next thing we knew, the three of us smashed into each other and got thrown onto our butts.

We were all up in seconds. "Percy!" Jason blurted. "I found him!"

I perked. "Dominic?"

He nodded. "Yeah! That way!"

Tony tugged on my arm. "Annie—"

"Let's split up," Jason said quickly. "Percy—"

"—is going back for Annabeth," I said. "Tony, go with Jason and get Dominic." They looked surprised at my choice, but they ran off.

I started toward the direction Tony pointed in, following the marks of his skidding and tripping. Finally I heard voices. One was definitely Annabeth, and the other… I pulled Riptide.

"Daughter of Athena," the unfamiliar voice purred. I hid being a statue of a man, breathing hard. I peeked under his arm.

Annabeth was standing five feet away from me, her eyes shut tightly. Her feet were covered in snakes, anchoring her to the ground. Her hands were clenched into fists. A woman was standing behind her, her back facing me. She was dressed in all black leather. Instead of hair she had snakes.

Medusa.

She sniffed suddenly. I pressed my back to the statue just as she whirled around. "Hm," she murmured. I got an idea. I pulled my iPod Touch out of my pocket. The back was like a mirror.

I watched Medusa circle Annabeth like a vulture, smiling evilly. She reached out and tugged on her blonde hair. "You know, my dear, I used to have hair like yours," she mused. Annabeth stiffened at her touch. "But your _mother_ turned me into _this_." Her voice spat the word 'mother'.

"That's by no fault of mine," Annabeth said stiffly.

Medusa's laugh was like music. "No, but you are a child of Athena, are you not? You are a perfect revenge package, delivered to me by the Fates themselves!"

"No, she's not," I muttered.

Medusa's head turned slightly. She took a deep breath. What little of her mouth I could see twitched up into a smile. "Son of Poseidon."

* * *

**Déjà vu, anyone? Now, Dominic and Percy's friendship is over for...well, ever, but Percy's new adventure is NOT. I've got a lot of material left for you guys to read, so buckle up, and get ready for next week's chapter: Wake-Up Call.**

**~ Alice ~**


	12. Wake Up Call

**12/**

I froze at her words. And her face's reflection. Without the sunglasses.

Her face was beautiful, I guess, but…her eyes. They were radiation-green, like pools of acid that could burn away a person's soul. My soul. They glowed brighter as they met mine.

I ran for it. "Don't move, Annabeth!" I called back. "I'll come back for you!"

"Don't die, you idiot!" she yelled after me.

I heard Medusa's footsteps following me as I ran through the maze. I changed directions as often as I could, finally diving behind a group of her statues to hide. I used my iPod again to watch her skid around a corner, her snakes-for-hair leading her around.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are," she cooed. "My babies are hungry." Her snakes hissed, as if on cue.

I tensed, gripping Riptide more tightly. My heart slammed against my ribs, each beat echoing in my ears. I tried to remember what I'd learned in five Ancient Greek classes with Anne Grey.

"I love Hide-and-Seek," Medusa purred. "Ready or not, here I come."

What do I use to kill her? What did the _original_ me use to kill her? I doubted my sword would be able to kill her before I got turned to stone. I tried to remember what I'd learned in three days of Ancient Greek class.

I knew he got bunch of gifts from the gods so he could slay Medusa, but that's not it... It hit me like a baseball in the forehead (which I know a lot about, trust me; but that's a different story). It's not _what he used_ to do it. It's _how_ he did it.

Medusa's footsteps stopped just in front of the statue I was hiding behind. I spotted her feet; she was facing me. I took a silent deep breath. I braced for the worst.

A hand clamped down on my shoulder. "Found you," Medusa announced. She pulled me to my feet. I struggled to break and run, but her fingers dug into my shoulders painfully, pulling me closer. "I hear whispers that you are seeking your sister," she said. "Poor, poor, little Alice. Captured by gods."

"Shut up about my sister," I muttered.

Her laugh echoed in my ears. "Stay here with me, Percy. Do not be a pawn of the gods. Your sister does not need saving. You could stay with me forever. All you have to do is look." Medusa's words crawled into my brain; I relaxed involuntarily. I could almost hear her smiling. "Now, let me see your eyes," she coaxed. "I hear they're greener than the Ionian Sea. Go on. Open them."

My eyes relaxed. I was about to open them when I heard the revving of an engine and—I think—a car burst through the leaves, throwing me to the floor. I scrambled away from Medusa as fast as I could.

She got to her knees. "Son of Poseidon," she hissed. "Where are you?" Her hands found my iPod on the floor; she raised it to eye-level, staring at her reflection curiously. I stood up behind her, and, using her reflection, swung Riptide as hard as I could.

There was the sickening SCHLUCK! of Celestial bronze slicing through flesh, then the thud of something rolling to the ground at my feet. I wrinkled my nose. "Heads up."

I opened my eyes, careful not to look down. Annabeth, Tony, and Jason, were sitting up inside a red truck with their eyes shut, obviously having ducked under the dashboard to drive. Andromeda was behind the wheel, Tony in the passenger seat, and Jason in the back.

"Percy?" Annabeth called. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," I said, wiping the blood off my sword. "It's cool to open your eyes now, guys."

"Whoo!" Tony yelled. He laughed, like he couldn't believe he was alive. "Ha-ha!" He got out of the truck. "Annabeth, that was great—GREAT demigod driving."

"Thanks," she said, jumping down from the driver's seat.

Tony laughed again, but then he looked down. "Ugh."

"Don't look!" I said.

"What? The eyes are closed."

"We have to take it with us," Annabeth said solemnly.

"Ugh. No, that's sick," Tony said.

"The eyes still work," she insisted. "Alive or dead. And you never know when something like this is gonna come in handy."

"She's right," I agreed. "Tony, give me your jacket."

He blinked. "What? Why do I have to take off my jacket?"

"'Cause you're the bravest and wisest of us all," Annabeth said sweetly. "And that, by law of natural selection, makes you our figurative leader."

"Can't argue with that," he muttered. "Fine. You know what? I'mma give you my hoodie, and not my jacket, 'kay?" He shoved his black-and-white hoodie at me.

I bent down to pick up the head. "Where are her sunglasses?"

"Here."

"Hey, guys, could you hurry up?" Jason called from the truck. "I think this guy needs a doctor."

"What?" I said. I looked at Tony. "You got him?"

"Yeah," Tony said proudly. "He was chained up by the—"

"Let's go," Annabeth interrupted. "We don't want to be around when Set and Hecate's servants show up."

"Right," Tony and me agreed.

"Who stole the new truck?" I asked as I slid into the back with Jason.

"Me," Jason said. "The door was unlocked."

I spotted Dominic leaning on the window, unconscious. Somehow I knew we wouldn't be friends anymore. Not again. "What do we do with him?" I said.

Annabeth frowned. "Joan and Jared will have him on their side in seconds," she mused. "We could transport him back to camp."

"How?" I said. "We're AWOL, remember?"

"Lightning travel," she said.

"What?" the three of us said. We all looked at Jason, then back to Annabeth.

"It's a special form of transportation every child of the Big Three has," she explained. "Mariah Evans does it by lightning, Zoë Perish does it by shadows, and Alice does it by sea vapor. Jason, you're a son of Zeus. You should be able to do the same as your sister."

He looked doubtful. "I could try," he relented, "but the basis of my electricity control is zapping people."

"'Zapping people'?" I repeated. "I've never seen you do it."

"Watch." He poked my shoulder.

A spark flashed between his finger and my shoulder in a fraction of a second; the result was like when you have a wool sweater on and you touch something metal, except times 100.

I jumped a foot in the air; my head smacked the ceiling. "OW!" Everyone laughed. I scowled.

"So you'll try?" Annabeth prompted.

"Yeah," Jason said. "Pull over. Let's try it now."

"Hi."

Everyone in the cab jumped at the voice we knew all too well. I turned to see Summer Todd sitting in the truck bed, resting her chin on her arms in the small window. Simon was seated solemnly behind her.

We all knew it was better not to ask Summer questions; we pulled over and helped Jason drag Dominic out of the car. Holding him up by one arm, Jason gave us a mock-salute and a cocky grin before disappearing in a bolt of lightning, leaving the strong smell of ozone behind them.

Five minutes later he reappeared, looking exhausted. He yawned.

"You okay, man?" Tony asked.

"With great power…comes great need to take a nap," Jason yawned. "Wake me up later." We all scrambled to catch him as he keeled over.

"Whoa," I said. "Wake up, Jason."

"Is it [yawn] later yet?"

I raised an eyebrow. "No." I got a snore for an answer.

Tony chuckled. "Oh, this is gonna be fun." He pulled out some rope and a black Sharpie.

"No, don't wake him up," Annabeth said before Tony could draw on him. "Get back inside the truck and start the engine." He grumbled over it, but he and Simon and Summer got back in the car. Annabeth began tying Jason's hands to the railing of the truckbed.

At first I thought we were just gonna, I don't know, leave him outside while we waited in the truck, but once we were sitting in the front Annabeth turned to me, grinning. "Percy, how fast do you think a human being can run?"

I caught on faster than Tony on enchilada night. I grinned. "I don't know, but let's go for the record."

Andromeda turned the ignition.

**Third Person POV**

The girl smirked. The boy across from her gulped in terror. She twirled her sword menacingly in one hand. He gripped his spear more tightly.

Her sword had been carefully crafted from precious Stygian ice, cold as death, dark as night. It was a part of her, thanks to years of practice…and hardship. Too many had known its agonizing bite as their last sensation.

His spear was simple Hephaestus-brand bronze, nothing special. The tip had dulled over the hours of sparring, especially in the dark. Blood and sweat had helped rust over the shaft, but somehow the spear stayed in tact.

She swung. He parried her strike and tried to jab under her arm, only to receive a warm, painful slash to his hand. He cried out, biting down to prevent himself from screaming at the feel of yet another gash on his chest.

The girl merely smiled. Suddenly she was gone, having slipped silently into the shadows. She reappeared behind him in a split second, delivering a heartless slice to the back of his knee. He collapsed, unwanted tears sliding down his cheeks.

He found himself trembling at the feel of her cold, jagged blade against his throat. He knew death was near. He wondered if the dreaded Fields of Punishment would become his eternal home. He wondered if he would even get a funeral.

Her grip tightened on the hilt, interrupting his thoughts. His eyes closed. He drew one last deep breath. But just as the girl prepared to spill his life's blood—

"Enough!"

The blade moved away, almost reluctantly. The shadowed figure appeared in front of them, its very presence demanding worship…seeping darkness.

Stabbing her sword into the ground, the girl dropped to one knee and bowed her head in respect. The boy couldn't even bring himself to move. Icy wind swept over his body as the figure seemed to frown. It turned to the girl.

"Come, girl. I have a task for you to do. And you," the words turned harsh as it looked upon the boy, panting and bleeding all over the dark tiles. "Clean this mess up." The figure vanished in a whirlwind of darkness without another word.

The girl's cold gaze settled on the boy one last time. "We'll finish this later," she promised. "The Fields await you, my friend."

"You know as well as I that you're no _friend_ of mine," the boy spat.

Her white teeth almost lit up the darkness, but there was neither warmth nor amusement in her smile. "Very well," she replied. "I'll leave you to your…whatever you're doing."

"I'm _dying_, you bitch," he hissed. _"Again."_

"You're welcome."

"Get the hell out of here," he snapped. "Go complete your _task_."

She frowned a little. "Oh, don't be a sore loser. Your suffering will end soon. Make sure to thank me."

"Yeah right," he snarled. "Just leave."

She didn't respond. She whistled. A black shape half her size instantly appeared next to her. It growled at the boy, who only grimaced back. The girl winked. "See ya, cousin. Wouldn't wanna be ya." She closed her eyes, and melted into a streak of shadow, swirling away to the surface world.

The boy doubled over in pain as soon as she was gone, his breathing becoming more and more shallow. He felt his heart slowing. His eyes began to close. The pain lessened.

There was the snap of someone's fingers. A door opened, and a girl ran in.

She dropped to one knee beside him, quickly pulling her curly brown hair into a ponytail. "Are you okay?" she asked quietly as she cut open his shirt with a pair of scissors.

He managed a laugh. "Okay? No, she just kicked my ass again."

The girl frowned, setting aside her scissors. "I hate her."

"Don't we all?" They fell silent as the girl carefully washed out the boy's wounds, stitched them up, and covered them in gauze. She handed him a fresh shirt, watching as he put it on, wincing. She hated when he got hurt.

"Where's Adrian?" the boy asked. The girl's eyes dropped. His eyes widened. He ran a hand through his hair. "Did they even…?"

She shook her head. "No."

"I assume the rest of them are fine," he said bitterly.

The girl blinked back tears and nodded. "Of course they are."

He frowned, then sighed. "We'll get out of here one day," he promised her.

Her eyes widened; she looked around fearfully, as if even saying the words was a crime. "Don't say that," she whispered. "You know what'll happen if—" He cut off her words with a kiss. She recoiled for a moment in surprise, but kissed him back.

He pulled back after a while. "I'll take you with me," he promised her. His voice dropped to a barely audible murmur. "We can go help _them_."

A bang from outside. They both jumped.

"You should go," the boy said quietly. "Before you-know-who comes in."

The girl nodded. She kissed him once more before rising to her feet. "Be careful you idiot," she reminded him. "You know what crazy challenges she can come up with."

He agreed silently. Almost as soon as she was gone a somehow-dark light entered the room. That same evil figure replaced it. Though he couldn't see her face, the boy knew it was grinning evilly. "Come on, boy. You have to accompany your cousin on her mission."

The younger boy grimaced, wondering what horrors the monster had planned. And if he'd survive them this time.


	13. Meet the Order

**Wow, it's Friday already? Here's the next chapter!**

* * *

**13/**

**Percy's POV**

"Summer, what do you think we should do?" I said, sighing.

"We have to go rescue Alice from the Underworld," she murmured. "She's way under, deeper than even Hades's palace."

"How do we get in?" Annabeth said, almost to herself.

"We could go through the main door," Tony suggested.

"Where is it though?" I said.

"Las Vegas," Summer said. "The Monte Carlo."

_Oh, so that's why she wanted us to go there,_ I thought.

"No," Annabeth said quickly. "I heard the lair of the lotus-eaters is in Las Vegas."

"The lair of the what now?" Tony asked.

"Lotus-eaters," she explained. "They feed their victims narcotic lotus flowers, which makes them never want to leave."

Tony wrinkled his nose. "Ugh. Annie's right. Is there any other way into the Underworld?"

"The Door of Orpheus," Annabeth and Summer said together. "It's in Canada," Andromeda went on. "Niagara Falls."

"Wait," I said. "Who's Orpheus again?"

"The son of Calliope," Annabeth said. "He sang his way through the earth to the Underworld to get back his dead wife, Eurydice. The deal with Hades was that Eurydice's spirit would follow Orpheus back to the land of the living, and he would get away with it as long as he didn't look back at her until he got there. Her spirit would become the living being as soon as they got back to Thrace. But Orpheus didn't trust Hades so he looked back and…yeah, you got the picture."

"The door's still there?" I asked. She nodded. Okay, we were in Ohio right now, so we could make it to Canada in a few days or so. "Then to Niagara Falls, I guess."

"No," Summer said. "We need to stop first."

"Why, you gotta pee or something?" Tony said.

She frowned. "No. We need to go to the Chicago Field Museum."

Annabeth frowned too. "Why?"

"The music box."

**Third Person POV**

The girl sat on the floor cross-legged, hugging herself as she watched her relatives prepare for battle. She was glad she wouldn't have to go, but she shuddered at the thought of the possible injuries she would have to heal when they returned. A sandy-haired boy sat next to her, offering a cup of water.

She started in surprise. Water was scarce at their base; even a handful of mucky fountain water was revered among them. But she drank half without hesitation, then handed it back.

"You okay?" the boy said.

She nodded. "I don't like fighting."

"It's okay," he assured her. "You're not going. You have to stay here so you can heal us when we get back."

She knew this, of course, but a pang of worry shot through her heart. She turned to him. "You'll come back, right?" she said, anxiousness obvious in her voice.

He ran his thumb over her cheek. She turned her face into his hand. "I'll be fine," he said. "They might be powerful, but we outrank them in both skill and numbers."

"Very well," she relented. "Just don't die."

He chuckled. "What'd I just say?"

"Leo!" one of the girls in armor called. "Get over here! We're leaving."

"Be right there!" he called back. The armored girl frowned at his answer, but she turned away.

The girl by Leo's side turned her face away, trying to hide the tear slipping down her cheek, but in vain. Leo wiped it away with his thumb. "Don't worry, Tess," he said. "I'll be back before you know it. Promise."

"Okay." She kissed him. He stood, adjusted the new sword at his side, and ran over to the group of his cousins by the exit.

Tess pressed her fingers to her lips. Her eyes closed as another tear escaped. "I love you," she whispered.

* * *

Leo couldn't stop thinking about Tess as he and the rest of the group trooped into the throne room. It was empty of course, except for the prisoner in the corner. But she never spoke.

"We all remember the attack plan, right?" the girl at the front said. She, like the rest of them, was dressed in full Greek armor, her Stygian ice sword at her side, her helmet tucked under her arm. The group murmured in agreement at her words. "We're splitting up to get inside," she announced. "Leo, Damien, Karapet, Julius, come with me. The rest of you know what to do."

Leo frowned. Go with _her_? He didn't know how he felt about that. But he went over to them anyway.

"We've got to get to the museum before they do," _she_ was reminding Damien as soon as Leo walked up.

"Do you think I don't know that?" Damien said impatiently.

"I could shadow-travel us," Julius offered. "But I can't guarantee that we'll end up exactly where we want to."

"Yeah, just what we need," Karapet said sarcastially. "To accidentally end up in Beijing. Again."

"I just want to get above ground," Leo muttered under his breath. But she heard.

Brief surprise flickered across her face. "I always forget you're a son of Aeolus," she said.

"Thanks," he said sarcastically.

She just rolled her eyes. "Why don't you transport us there then?"

He didn't want to, but they all joined hands. The five of them disappeared in an icy whirlwind of air, the last thing Leo saw being Tess's pained face over the top of his partners' heads.

**Percy's POV**

Finally! My heart pounded with excitement when I saw it—the Chicago Field Museum.

We got out of the truck and went inside. Annabeth's hat got us past the front desk, and Summer led the way from there; through the _Employees Only_ door, down the stairs, to the storage floor labeled "DOUM Rooms".

"'DOUM'?" I repeated. "What does that stand for?"

"Department of Obscene Unsolved Mysteries," Summer said absently. She took a few turns, then went through one last door, humming that weird tune. She pointed at a large cardboard box on the many, many, _many_ shelves. "There."

Jason and me pulled it down and ripped it open. Lying in the packaging pellets was the fanciest music box I'd ever seen. It was carved from amber and entwined with gold. I noticed the Greek letters **Ευτέρπη **were carved into the pattern of the lid—_Euterpe_. I picked it up.

Summer whimpered suddenly. She was hugging herself, as if trying to get warm. I realized she was still barefoot, only in her blue dress and a brown sweater.

"What?" I said.

"Triskaidekaphobia," she murmured.

We all looked at Simon. "What is she talking about?" I demanded.

"Triskaidekaphobia is the fear of the number 13," Simon said. "I have no idea what she means."

"She means us, of course," a voice said. Within seconds all our weapons were out, all of us tensed to face the intimidating line of armed kids.

I counted them quickly. There were five of them, all dressed in full Greek armor, all armed to the teeth. Their faces were like stone. Their eyes were emotionless.

The leader was a pretty girl with a long black ponytail, ivory skin, and Angelina Jolie lips. Those lips stretched into a wide smile, but there was no emotion in it. A huge black mastiff stood at her side; it growled at me.

The boy on her left was one of those guys you could imagine as a jock, the kind girls would fight over. He had two identical swords strapped over his back and a bronze shield on his left arm. His fiery amber eyes flicked to each of us in interest.

The boy on her right had sandy-colored hair and weather-beaten skin, with a shiny, new-looking, double-headed spear in his hand that seemed to be made of a combination of ice and bronze. He didn't look much of a fighter to me. He had the strangest eyes: they were gray, but...transparent somehow. It was freaky.

The last two could pass for siblings. They both had blue-black hair and black eyes that look like they could suck out your soul, combined with dark olive skin and intimidating scowls. The boy twirled an ax in his hands. The girl gripped her sword tightly.

"So," the leader said, her cold eyes roaming over us. "You're the famous Percy Jackson."

"Yeah," I said. "What's it to you?"

She didn't answer me. The dark-haired boy at her left spoke with a British accent: "Sorry, mates, but I'm 'fraid we're gonna have to take that music box from you lot."

"If you want it, come get it," Tony challenged.

"But you're gonna have to get through us first," Jason added.

The girl raised an eyebrow. "We don't want to kill you, but we will if we have to," she warned.

"Bring it," Annabeth snarled. In response they all charged us.

I threw the music box to Summer. "Jason, get them out of here!" I yelled. Jason grabbed Simon and Summer's arms and disappeared into a bolt of lightning almost immediately. When he came back, we were both shocked to see Summer with him. She started kicking the shit out of someone right away. I turned my attention back to my own battle.

I hilt-slammed one girl out of the way and kicked another guy in the groin, then slashed somebody else's knee. Man, it felt good to fight.

The leader snapped her fingers; the kids all focused on my friends, but I didn't have a chance to check on how they were doing.

"Sorry, but I didn't catch your name," I said to the girl as our swords clashed.

She smiled, but there was no emotion in it, except maybe evil. "Anastasia Chaldean, daughter of Hecate." Her dog disappeared in a streak of shadow, appeared behind me, and bit my foot. "And that's Xander." She pronounced it like _Zander_.

I tensed while kicking her dog in the face. This was the daughter of Hecate? Crap! I sliced at her as hard as I could, but she blocked my strike and gave me a cut across my chest. Then my leg. Then my face. Xander came back, snarling.

I ground my teeth.

**Annabeth's POV**

The British kid twirled his twin swords in his hands, grinning. "Damien Morneau, son of Phobos," he said.

"Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena," I replied, gripping my knife tighter.

"Good luck." He swung. I dodged, and sliced his hand, then grabbed the nearest broom and broke the shaft over his head.

He shook the pieces out of his hair, unharmed. "You're all so adorable."

My temper flared. I ran to stab him, but I made the mistake of looking in his eyes. They were glowing.

Suddenly I wasn't standing in the basement of the Chicago Field Museum. I was sitting in a car. My dad was sitting beside me, driving. He was talking to me about something—grades?

I wanted to say something, but I couldn't open my mouth. I could only watch in horror as an arrow embedded itself in Dad's head. I tried to scream, but nothing came out.

He slumped forward. The car skidded off the freeway completely; I slammed my eyes closed as my stomach flattened against my spine.

_It's only a dream_, I told myself. _You're hallucinating. Wake up!_ I opened my eyes. Damien was grinning.

My mind jumped three steps ahead of my body. I kicked a statue, then stabbed him in the arm. We started to wrestle. I eyed the falling statue as it hit a bucket of propane above his head, drenching him. He snarled, probably thinking it was water, and tossed me aside.

I smiled. He sliced open my arm and gave me a cut on my cheek; I threw my knife into his gut. I somehow managed to hook my foot around his ankle and bring him to the floor. I yanked out my knife. I rose to my feet, holding my bleeding arm.

"You know," I said. "You guys are so much better than I am." I slipped my hand into my pocket, searching for the small box of—there it was.

Damien grinned, sitting up. "You _are_ a smart girl. Now, just give me the music—"

"But then again, I'm _so_ much smarter than you are," I interrupted. I struck a match. Damien seemed to realize he was soaked in propane; he backed away.

I tossed the match.

**Tony's POV**

The girl advanced on me menacingly, spinning her sword above her head. I took a fighting stance. She attacked. I jumped out of her way and sliced at her back, but it only sparked against her armor.

She growled. Suddenly I felt myself being sucked into darkness. "I am Karapet Nychta, daughter of Erebus," a voice told me. "You have no chance against my power of shadows."

"I'm Phäethon Staphili," I retorted. "Son of Dionysus. And you have no chance against my sword." I threw it into the dark.

Karapet laughed. "What was that, Phäethon? You've just wasted your sword."

"I know," I replied. "It was a distraction. If you try to move your feet, you'll notice they're nicely rooted to the ground."

"Wha—!"

"And if you'll look up, you'll notice I'm getting ready to kick your ass." I launched myself into the dark, tackling her by sheer luck. We flew out of the dark. My knee was planted firmly on her chest. I threw her sword far from her.

I focused on the plants just under the concrete; green vines broke through the floor and curled around her arms and legs. I felt exhausted, but I managed to grin. "Just stay there, kay? I'm gonna borrow your sword."

Karapet grabbed my ankle, bringing me to the floor. "You will die, son of Dionysus!" she promised.

"I sure hope not."

**Jason's POV **

I dropped Simon and Summer off at the car at Percy's orders, but just as I was lightning-traveling back, Summer threw Simon the music box and grabbed my arm.

She got to work before I could even register her presence. She kicked one of the kids in the chest as he ran by; he fell backwards, his sword flying high. She snatched his sword out of the air and sliced a second kid's leg.

I heard footsteps. I turned and raised my sword just in time for it to meet someone else's. The blades sparked with electricity. The guy glowered at me. "Son of Zeus?"

"Yep," I said. "You?"

"Julius Night, son of Nyx," he said.

"Jason Ashby," I said. "Let's do this."

"Let's," he agreed. Our swords clashed.

**Summer's POV**

I knew somehow that the Hephaestus-brand metal weapons the demigods had couldn't hurt me. I was mortal. So the swords and knives just passed right through me, as if I wasn't there.

One boy, with a double-headed spear in his hand, advanced on me. "You're no demigod," he said.

"I'm mortal," I agreed. "Summer Todd."

"Cornelius St. Cloud," he said. "But everyone calls me Leo."

I barely waited for him to finish before planting my foot on his chest. He grabbed my ankle and tried to twist it out from under me. I used my left foot as leverage as I swept his legs out from under him with my right, ending up with his back against the floor and my left foot still set firmly on his chest.

My head snapped up. I shifted out of my defensive stance as I listened to the universe. Surprise crossed Leo St. Cloud's face.

"What are you doing?" he asked me, losing focus on his glaring.

"Shh, I'm listening," I murmured. A flash overwhelmed my mind: a girl with curly brown hair sitting in a corner, her hands covering her face. "Why is Tess crying?"

His eyes widened. "How do you know about Tess?" he demanded, jumping to his feet.

"She's worried," I said. I made my decision. "I won't kill you."

"What?"

In response I punched him in the throat, then dropped to one knee and punched his knee from the left side. I heard his patella crack; he dropped to the ground, choking. I stamped on the end of his spear and caught it.

I quickly did the math. Cornelius St. Cloud's physical recovery time: one week. Psychological: one month.

**Percy's POV**

I sliced open Anastasia's arm, but she didn't even lose a beat. Blood was seeping through my clothes; I tried to ignore the pain as I fought off both Anastasia and Xander, who was streaking from me to his mistress, and back again.

"Anastasia! We're down!" someone yelled. Anastasia cursed.

She kicked me in the chest and snapped her fingers. "Move out!" she shouted. Xander streaked over to one of the demigods, who happened to be on fire. The dog placed its front paws on the boy's chest; they vanished in a flash.

Anastasia winked at me. "Good luck, Perseus." She dissolved into a thin, curling line of smoke.

I looked around just in time to see the other demigods disappearing in their own ways; two of them melted into the shadows, and the last disappeared in an whirlwind of air.

Even Annabeth looked confused. "Who were they?"

I was surprised to hear Summer answer her: "Hecate's demigod army. The Thirteenth Order of Enodia."

Oh, crap.

* * *

**You guys haven't been very good reviewers lately. I don't care if you put one letter in it, or it says the same thing as all your other ones, I just want them! Getting one lets me know you're actually reading what I'm writing. Without them its like a slap in the face. Wait, no, something less painful. Anyway, please review. See you guys next week!**

**~ Alice ~**


	14. An Inside Look On the Order

**I know, I know, I'm late. I was busy killing brain cells with mindless tv, okay? Bite me. Wait, not literally! OW! Freaking nature!**

* * *

**14/**

**the Order POV**

Sofia Foss, daughter of Hyperion, stabbed her knife into the table in frustration, making all the makeshift chess pieces jump. Her opponent, Carissa Johnson, daughter of Mnemosyne, merely smiled at Sofia's string of cuss words, absently twirling a lock of red hair around her pale fingers as she pondered the chess board.

"And you know I f***ing hate f***ing mind games, Carissa!" Sofia snarled finally.

"Language, Sofia," Carissa reminded her calmly. She nudged a bottle cap labeled CASTLE onto another square and swiftly captured Sofia's eraser, labeled KNIGHT.

"I hate chess too," Sofia grumbled, flicking over one of the few captured pieces she'd earned. "And how can I win against you? You've got a f***ing photographic memory!"

"Michael's beaten me before," Carissa said. "Once."

"That was only because Megan detonated a bomb under your chair so Michael could cheat!" Sofia exploded.

Carissa's mouth shrank. Her blue eyes turned dark. She was usually a very calm and cool person, but she could be cruel and extremely violent whenever she needed to—like now.

Megan and Michael Morgan, twin children of Ichnaea*, only had enough time to shoot Sofia identical looks of _we-will-kill-you-slowly-and-painfully _before Megan received a fresh gash across her shoulder, and Michael found himself choking on the floor with a brand-new black eye and a nearly-crushed trachea.

Carissa frowned as she returned to her chair. Her eidetic memory never forgot an offense of any kind; Megan and Michael were dead meat. She turned back to the marker-drawn chess board, waiting for Sofia to make her move.

* * *

_He trapped you? YOU?_

Ryan Marshall, son of Harpocrates*, pushed the piece of paper at the girl across from him.

Karapet Nychta scanned the note quickly and scowled. "He is a son of Dionysus," she reminded him. "His power, however naïve, exceeds my own."

Ryan, being mute, could only frown. He swiftly scrawled a reply: _How did you lose?_

A hand that was definitely not Karapet's snatched up the paper. Julius Night scowled down at Ryan in disgust. "We would've won, you stupid mute," he snapped. "They just got lucky." There was a swishing noise behind him, and he had to dive out of the way of Tess's syringe.

"Don't call Ryan names," she called from her section of the room. "Remember what happened last time." Julius scowled. Ryan smirked.

As soon as Julius had stalked off, Karapet proceeded to describe what happened to Ryan, who pondered over the explanation for a moment before writing out his answer to it all: _Do they know what's actually inside the music box?_

Karapet shook her head. "Not a chance." She grimaced suddenly.

Ryan slid another note to her: _Having doubts?_

She frowned. "Something about that last mortal girl... She said something to Leo that completely flustered him, and that kid has almost no feelings."

He quickly jotted down something else: _Could she know about the box?_

"It's certainly possible."

_Can she tell the future?_

* * *

John Nickels, son of Glaucus*, flipped his sword in his hand. "No spells," he told his opponent. "That's called cheating."

Hanna Gonzales, daughter of Morpheus, smiled. "No spells," she promised. She gripped her dirk* in her right hand.

John swung at Hanna's head. She dropped to one knee, met his sword high, and punched him in the groin with her other hand. His face turned red; he dropped to his hands and knees, coughing. Hanna's knee swiftly met his face as soon as she recovered. John's blood spurted all over her shorts, but she didn't seem to care. Her scooped-up dirk carved new gashes in John's ribs and back without hesitation.

John leapt up from his crouch and threw out his hand; a wave of water conjured itself from midair and swept Hanna's legs out from under her. His sword pinned her to the far wall before she could hit the floor. He picked up her discarded weapon, half-expecting her to be gasping for breath, but he knew better. Instead she was smiling.

Her bright eyes glittered, as if challenging him to charge. He did. At the last second Hanna pulled a crossbow from her hip and shot John in the throat. She ripped her shirt from his sword and towered over him as he choked, her expression cold.

"You didn't say anything about poisoned darts," she smirked.

* * *

"Ow! Don't cut it _open_, you crazy bitch!"

"OW! Stay still, you idiot!" Tess Arren, daughter of Hygeia, pulled the scalpel out of her shoulder, frowning at her violent patient, Damien Morneau.

"Damn daughter of Athena," Damien muttered, watching Tess get back to work.

"Stop being such a baby," Tess chided. "She only set you on fire."

Damien grumbled under his breath as the doctor carefully cut the burned-beyond-hope flesh away from his arm, bandaged his head, and gave him some scarcely-used nectar to drink.

"Thanks, bird," Damien said darkly, stalking off.

Tess frowned. There were no feelings in the Order. No thanks, no gratitude, no respect. Especially from Damien, despite his handsome, devlish appearance. She had learned that lesson the hard way. Her eyes settled on Leo St. Cloud ten feet away, repairing his broken spear. Her heart softened.

"Tess? _Hello?_"

A hand flicked her nose. Tess started, focusing on who was standing in front of her. She sighed. "What did you do this time?"

"Nothing!" Hanna Gonzales said, yanking the unconscious John Nickels to his feet by his collar. "I used one of Anastasia's crossbows on him."

Tess plucked the dart from John's neck and sniffed it. Her tongue tasted the foul tip briefly before she spat on the ground. "You're using aconitine now?" she called over to Anastasia. "Do you even know what it does?"

"Of course I do!" Anastasia snapped. Tess sighed.

"What the hell is aconitine?" Hanna demanded.

"The Queen of Poisons," Tess answered. "Come on, help me build a defibrillator before he starts seizing." She grasped John's collar. Together the girls dragged their new patient into the next room to get to work.

"Clear!"

* * *

Anastasia Chaldean ground her teeth; her pencil snapped in half in her grip. "Dammit," she muttered.

"What?" Damien said, sitting on the desk next to her.

"I don't get how that idiot son of Poseidon could've beaten us," Anastasia snarled. "_We_ should've gotten that music box."

"Don't bother about it," Damien said nonchalantly. "They'll end up at the cemetary anyhow."

"Hecate will have our heads," she reminded him. "Or, yours."

He snorted, ignoring the inhuman spike of fear in his chest. "Your mum needs us, love. She won't kill us." They fell silent as the two left-out words passed between them almost telepathically: _I hope_.

Anastasia shook the thought from her mind. There was no such thing as hope in the Order. Her mother had drilled that into her since she was a child. No feelings. No regrets. No mercy. "They have to go down," Anastasia growled. "We have to burn that camp to the ground and kill every single demigod there."

"Agreed," Damien replied.

Anastasia cocked her head thoughtfully. "Jackson'll try to save his sister, right?"

Damien nodded. "It's what he's been trying to do for the past week or so. Why?" He got what she was thinking. "Good idea, Ana."

"Don't call me that," she said immediately, but she was too distracted to punch him. She'd already started planning out their attack. She turned. "Megan, Michael! I've got a job for you two."

Megan and Michael turned around, smiling identical grins. They knew exactly why their services were required. They were going to enjoy this.

* * *

*** Ichnaea: god of tracking**

*** Harpocrates: god of silence**

*** Glaucus: minor sea deity**

*** Dirk: a longer version of a knife**

**

* * *

Thanks you guys!**

**~ Alice ~**


	15. Glimpse

**I love fridays. Here's your present, and see you next week!**

* * *

**15/**

**Peter's POV**

I shivered. I felt like I was boiling and freezing at the same time, and the hot sun wasn't helping. Anne, me, Zoë, and Mariah were going on foot through Cairo, trying to get to the airport. We didn't have any money for a cab, or even a motel in a weak attempt to save it for four coach tickets to New York, because Zoë and Mariah were too far out of Greek territory to shadow/lightning travel us out of there.

I swiped my hand across my forehead. So far we'd had no trouble, except when a lady almost ran us over with her SUV. My eyes started to close. The sidewalk blurred. I felt myself swaying a little. Something cold touched my shoulder suddenly; I jumped. It was Anne. She frowned at my reaction. "Peter, are you okay?"

"Fine," I managed. "How close are we?"

"A few more blocks," Zoë answered. She sighed. "Thank the gods nothing's happened to us."

"Don't jinx it, you dingdong!" Mariah somehow found the strength to punch Zoë in the shoulder.

"OW!" Zoë punched Mariah. I slowed; I knew a Zoë/Mariah punch-fest when I saw one. Two minutes later the silence was filled with lots of "OW!"s and "F***! That HURT, YOU BITCH!"

Anne sighed. My eyes started to close again; I felt like I was floating for a second before Anne's ice-cold fingers clutched my arm. "Peter? What's wrong?"

"What? Nothing," I mumbled. "I'm fine."

"You're burning up."

"Oh, look there's the airport!" Zoë cried. She punched Mariah in the gut, then took off toward the Cairo airport. Mariah cursed, and ran after her.

Anne grabbed my hand. "Come on. You'll feel better once you're on the plane." She dragged me forward.

"'Kay," I mumbled, but I didn't really care.

Going through the terminals and lines was a blur to me; all I remember was plopping down in my seat, ordering some soda, and falling asleep before it came.

**Anne's POV**

I frowned. Peter was snoring in the seat across the aisle. Not even Mariah and Zoë, who got stuck sitting next to each other, woke him up. I sighed as I listened to them bicker. I knew them being within three feet of each other would result in purple shoulders and a LOT of cussing. Which was happening now.

My fingers rattled on the tray involuntarily. I was worrying about what Peter would do when we got back to New York. I knew what'd he do for Alice; he had a major crush on her, just like Adam Blair. It actually seemed a little cliché, her being HER and all, but I was sure he'd get over it. At least, I hoped.

No, you idiots reading this, I don't like Peter. I'm just worried about how reckless he was getting, and how angry he'd been. He was bound to get himself hurt, or worse, one of us. I frowned at him across the aisle.

The ginger ale on the tray, intended to incite a placebo effect of some kind, wasn't working well. I needed no consolation about being in the air, but the situation worried me even more than Peter did. My hand tightened around the glass.

It wasn't like Nadira Rashid to lie. And even more unlike her to run. Unless she really needed to. I wondered what she was doing at that second.

I wondered if Percy Jackson, Alice's little brother, was doing as I told him. Then again, he was Alice's brother. I doubted he listened at all to what I told him, no thanks to my sister, Andromeda. I frowned. And Tony Staphili too.

I sighed as the complimentary popcorn the airline'd given us flew over the back of my seat, nailing me in the forehead. I hoped he wasn't dead, at least.

**The Order POV**

Anastasia Chaldean frowned as she watched Carissa Johnson run the new obstacle course Hecate had provided. The daughter of Mnemosyne had rendered Megan and Michael Morgan completely useless, almost crippling them for messing with her. Their tracking skills wouldn't be liable for another couple of days. Their attack would be delayed.

Anastasia understood Carissa's anger issues, but this was unacceptable. She needed Megan and Michael to track down Jackson and his friends, so they could go after them. She'd already decided that all thirteen of them would set out to do so. Jackson couldn't take all of them.

Her attention wandered. Her ears perked strangely to the noises in the giant cave.

Hanna Gonzales sharpening her dirk in the corner was music to Anastasia's ears. She could hear Karapet Nychta arguing with Ryan Marshall, who couldn't win against her. She could hear Julius Night and John Nickels (after his recovery) putting in extra hours of sparring, to be sure they could take down the idiotic demigods.

Damien was still furious that the Athena girl set him on fire. He was practicing with Sofia Foss now, making sure he could take out his revenge on the gray-eyed braniac.

Anastasia pulled a lever at her left, launching more catapults of flaming arrows at an exhausted Carissa. She smiled. Jackson had no chance.

* * *

Tess couldn't stop crying. Her tears were permanently staining Leo's shirt, but neither of them cared. She could feel his hand stroking her hair, his voice telling her it would be okay, but she knew it wouldn't be.

She never knew if Leo would come back—back to save her. The dark of the underground cave, the cruelty of the other Order members, the constant fighting and bloodletting—it all chilled Tess to the bone. But Leo made all that go away. He made her...happy, no matter how hard it was living underground. She couldn't let him... No, she wouldn't even think it. She couldn't put those words in the same sentence.

"Tess, stop crying," Leo said finally. He pushed her back, holding her at arm's length. "I'll be fine. Okay? I'll come back. I always do." He leaned closer suddenly. "You still have the ring, right?"

Tess reached into her pocket. She nodded, fingering the small silver band lovingly. "Of course I do," she said quietly.

Leo's expression turned pleased. "Good," he said, leaning back. "Now I'll always be with you."

She managed to laugh. "You're full of cheesy lines, you know that?"

He grinned. "Are they working?"

She put her hands around his neck. "Yes." They leaned in to kiss.

"Yeck," Megan interrupted as she limped by. "Get a room!"

Tess's stomach flipped at Megan's words; her hand went to her belly instantly, but Leo's lips on hers cut into her thoughts. Her hand tightened on her stomach. There was something she needed to say—

"Hey St. Cloud!" Anastasia's voice broke them apart. She was standing by the exit, waving him over impatiently. He stood up.

Tess realized this might be her last chance; she grabbed his hand. "Leo—"

"Hurry up!" Anastasia was getting mad now.

"I'll be back soon, okay?" Leo said. He kissed Tess one more time and ran over to Anastasia, who smacked him on the back of the head for taking too long and shoved him through the hole in the wall, throwing a dark look back at his girlfriend.

Tess's hand found her stomach again. "—I'm pregnant," she finished quietly.

**Jason's POV **

It was too quiet. Everyone sat twisting their hands in their laps, staring into space. Everyone was too tensed after that fight with those kids. What had Summer called them? The Order of something-or-other.

I frowned. "Can we talk about what happened now?" I said, thinking about that other kid, Julius Night.

"I'm not exactly sure," Annabeth said. "I'm glad we escaped but...that British kid Damien Morneau..." She rubbed her shoulder, which was still bandaged from the fight. "I managed to set him on fire, but I doubt he wouldn't have killed me if he got the chance."

"You set him on fire?" Percy said in disbelief. He stared at Annabeth. She shrugged, then winced.

"That other girl sucked me into the shadows," Tony said darkly. "Karapet Nychta." He pronounced it like _neek-ta_. Weird. "I got out and tied her up, but she probably would've killed me too." He shuddered.

"Mine was hard core," Percy said.

"She was hot," Tony and I said together. We grinned, but it didn't last.

Percy frowned. "Did you see her dog? It was like, made of shadows or something."

"What did she call it?" Tony said. "Xavier?"

Percy shook his head. "Xander."

"That thing was creepy," I remarked. Everyone murmured in agreement.

"Triskaidekaphobia," Annabeth murmured. "The fear of the number 13, right?" she said to Simon.

He nodded. "Right."

"Then I think there's more than just the five who attacked us," Annabeth said seriously. "There's 13 of them."

"The Thirteenth Order of Enodia," Percy said. "What does that mean?"

Annabeth tapped her chin. "Well, enodia is a Greek epithet—"

"A Greek what now?" Tony interrupted.

She opened her mouth. "Can we have the short version?" I said before she could speak.

Annabeth frowned, but she went on, "Enodia's an epithet for..." She stopped, like she just realized something.

"What?" we all cried.

"For Hecate," she finished. "It has something to do with crossroads."

"Crap," I said.

"Damn right," Tony muttered.

"So, there are 13 hard-core, murdering demigods on Hecate's side who are now after us?" Percy said. "Great. Just great."

"Key."

We turned. Summer'd been sitting in the truck bed with Simon again, clutching the music box and humming to herself, but now she stuck her head in the window and repeated what she'd said: "Key."

"What key?" Annabeth said finally.

She showed us the music box, pointing one skinny white finger at the small hole bored into one of the corners. "Key," she said again.

Annabeth's eyebrows scrunched together, but her eyes weren't on the music box. She grabbed Summer's hand and turned it over. "What's this?" An intricate sun was tattooed on Summer's palm.

Summer shrugged. "I don't know," she said. "It was there when I woke up. I have one on the other hand. And here too." She pulled up her sleeve to show us another sun on her shoulder.

The color drained from Annabeth's face. She put a hand to her mouth. Percy shook her shoulder. "What?"

"I...just realized," she said. "I know why Summer's...Summer."

"What? The psychic thing?" I asked. She nodded.

"Well?" Tony prodded.

Annabeth's gray eyes flicked to everyone else's before she finally spoke.

"Summer Todd is _not _a mere mortal. She's the Oracle of Delphi."


	16. Distractions

**Yes, I know it's not Friday... It's Tuesday. But it's also THE DAY THE NEW PJO BOOK COMES OUT! I'M GETTING IT TODAY! I'M SO HAPPY I'M GIVING YOU AN EXTRA CHAPTER, SO YOU'D BETTER REVIEW!**

* * *

**16/**

**Percy's POV**

We all blinked. We stared from Annabeth, to Summer, and back again.

Simon looked completely shocked. My jaw dropped. I couldn't remember how to close it. Tony and Jason were snickering.

Summer just smiled. "Yes."

"Wait, how can she be the Oracle and not know it?" Jason said. "She knows everything!"

Summer looked at him funny. "I only know what I need to know when I need to know it."

"Um, I didn't understand a word you just said," Tony remarked. She frowned.

"So, she's the Oracle now?" I asked.

Annabeth shook her head. "No. Apollo has to officially appoint her."

"What about the now-Oracle?" Jason said.

She thought about it. "I think the current Oracle, Euporia, still lives in Greece, underneath the remains of Apollo's temple."

"She lives underground?" I repeated.

"Yeah, but from what I'd heard, she's fading," Annabeth said.

"'Fading'?" Tony echoed. "How can a person fade?"

"She's wearing the necklace of Harmonia," Annabeth said, looking like she wanted to roll her eyes. "It keeps her young forever, but it has its…drawbacks."

"Then...how is she fading?" Jason said, confused.

"Like I said, drawbacks. And she's over a hundred years old," she said. "They need to change it every so often, you know. The Oracle of Delphi needs to remain a young maiden. I think Summer is the most gifted to-be Oracle in the history of Greece."

Summer smiled. "Yes," she said again. "I must go to Delphi and relieve Euporia of Harmonia's necklace. I will assume her sacred duties."

"Wait, we're going to Delphi?" I demanded. "How? Zeus will blast me out of the sky!"

"He won't when Jason is with us," Annabeth said. "Zeus won't incinerate his only son."

I wanted to argue, but we all knew I would never win against Annabeth. Jason sighed.

"Of course you don't," Summer murmured. "But you need us."

Judging from Jason's expression, she'd just read his mind "Riiiight," Jason said. He yawned. "Don't wake me up unless one of you is dying." Before anyone could say anything else, he leaned his head against the window and closed his eyes.

We all shrugged at each other, and decided to do the same.

* * *

My eyes flashed open. I was standing behind one of the thirteen pillars in a huge circular room. The air smelled musty and old, and everything was covered in a thick layer of dust. In the middle of the tile floor was…

"Jason Ashby..."

He jumped to his feet and reached for his sword, but it wasn't there. While he was being dumbstruck, a flash erupted in the middle of the room. When it faded, a figure in black stood in the center of the room.

Even I could tell the figure was smiling wryly. "I am not here to kill you, son of Zeus."

"Who are you?" Jason demanded.

"I am Hecate," the figure said. "The mistress of magic."

"Why are you in my dream?" Jason said.

"I need...a favor," the figure grinned.

"Why would I do you a favor?" Jason snapped. "You kidnapped my friend's sister!"

"And what is she to you?" it wanted to know. "You only followed Jackson and his friends to have...an adventure, did you not?"

He blinked. I did too. "How would you know that?"

It smiled. "I am a god. I know things. Anyhow, I need a favor from you." It went on while Jason looked stunned and opened his mouth: "In return I can promise you good pay and a high position in the Sixth Age—my Age. You know if a war does commence, the Olympians will have the upper hand, but my army will soon overwhelm them. The minors on our side provide us with great leverage, and power. Olympus will topple. I am offering you a chance to live. A chance in our court. Or, you may choose to die." It looked at Jason expectantly, holding out a black-gloved hand.

Jason hesitated. I fumed. Why was he even considering this? Why didn't he say no and get the hell out of there?

I wanted to yell "JASON, NO!" But somehow I couldn't open my mouth. I didn't have a voice. I couldn't even move. I could only watch as Jason seemed to think about it. Then he shook his hand.

"Alright, Hecate," he said. "What's the favor?"

The figure straightened. It smiled.

"Bring me the new Oracle of Delphi."

**Anne's POV  
**

I pressed my fingers to my temple. The overlapping voices of the war council was making my head pound. Finally I slammed my fist on the table and shot to my feet. "Enough!"

The whole room fell silent. I sat down. "Now," I said, my brain still throbbing. "What's first?" Everyone looked at Connor Heist.

"Um, what about that new kid?" he said. "The one that showed up in the Demeter room and scared the hell out of Penny?"

"What kid?" Zoë asked.

"The new son of Hades," I answered.

"I have a brother?" Zoë demanded. "What's his name? Is he in the Hades cabin already? Is he touching my stuff?"

"I don't know!" I said indignantly. "He's in the infirmary. And I have no idea what his name is."

"Nico. Nico di Angelo." The weak voice drew the whole room's attention. The strange boy in black stood in the doorway, leaning on the frame for support and clutching his left arm. His hair was matted with sweat and his hand was stained in blood, probably his own.

We stared at him for half a second before Mariah Evans volunteered to take him to the Hades cabin. She probably saw Zoë's expression and took matters into her own hands.

"Nico di Angelo?" Lily Bloom repeated. I glanced at her.

The ten-year-old had grown from a terrified toddler into a hard-core fighter, thanks to five years of having Joan DeWitt as a teacher. She was a prodigy.

"I'm going to go talk to him," Lily announced. She slid off the chair and dashed out of the room before anyone could protest. I sighed.

"Council dismissed."

**Summer's POV**

When I woke up, I wasn't surprised to see everyone except Tony crammed inside the truck bed, sound asleep. I knew we'd all moved outside because of the heat, though I had no memory of it. Simon probably moved me.

I realized my head was resting on Jason's shoulder, but I wasn't alarmed. I sat up calmly, pulling my sweater over my shoulder. Jason didn't stir. His head was in Annabeth's lap, whose own head was on Percy's shoulder. None of them seemed to notice, or Jason would be dead and the other two would be blushing.

I got out of the truck without waking anyone. The grass was cold against my bare feet. The wind stirred my hair. My skin prickled with goose bumps. I didn't care.

I knew Simon was watching me. I didn't turn. Instead I stared up at the sky. I pointed at the stars. "Guess who?" I said.

Simon looked. "Orion?" he guessed.

"Pegasus," I said. My mind took in every object in the sky. The stars, the fading moon, the small, faint shape of Venus. Even Eos, queen of the sunrise, beginning her daily duties. I heard Simon open his mouth. I knew the answer to the question before it was uttered.

"Summer, do you want to stay with them?"

I didn't say anything for a while. "It's not safe…" I murmured finally.

Simon slid out of the truck too. "No, I fear it isn't safe anymore," he said. He walked off, probably to think.

"…for them," I finished softly. I heard a sudden gasp. I turned just in time to see Jason shoved backwards out of the truck bed with a loud "OW!"

Percy and Annabeth turned to look at him as he sat up, rubbing his head. "What the hell was that for?" he exploded. She just rolled her eyes and went back to sleep. Percy shrugged sympathetically, mouthed _Your fault_, then followed suit.

Jason grumbled under his breath, rubbing his head. He looked around and saw me. "Hey, Summer," he called. "Where's Simon?"

I pointed. He nodded in thanks and ran off.

I looked back up at the sky. A plane flew by sluggishly, seemingly like a fly in amber. I cocked my head, intrigued. Perhaps I could see better from a greater height…

**Simon's POV  
**

I kicked a rock. Summer was right; it wasn't safe. Not anymore. These kids attracted danger in all shapes and sizes. I'd seen things that would make a normal person insane.

I worried even more about Summer now. The Oracle of Delphi? I wasn't so sure. Was it because I didn't want…? No, that couldn't be it.

I didn't understand why I was suddenly feeling doubtful. I think it was just because my anxiety over my sister was making me paranoid. But what's wrong with being paranoid?

"Simon!" I jumped. It was Jason, running over to me. "Glad I caught you, man," he panted.

"What?" I said, a little annoyed at the interruption.

He straightened. "There's been a change of plans. We've agreed that we should take you to the safest place possible. We don't want to risk angering Apollo by getting you two hurt."

I smiled. "That's great. When do we leave?"

Jason scratched his head, as if thinking. "Well, I had a dream that Apollo wanted to pick up Summer at Pompey's Pillar in New York, so we'd better get going."

"Okay," I agreed. Jason got a strange look on his face, almost like he was relieved I said that, but I ignored it, and we walked off to find my sister.

I found her standing in the highest branch of a fifteen-foot tree, a shocked look on her face. I expected her to turn around to look at me before I could say anything, like she always does, but she…didn't.

Since she's psychic, my sister usually knows what people (i.e. me) are going to say right before they say it. Or what they're going to do right before they do it. Or, what they're thinking right before they think it. Or—well, you get the picture.

So I've gotten used to her answering my question right after I think it and knowing instantly what girl I'd gotten a crush on. Stuff like that.

"Summer?" I called.

She turned around, a look of confusion on her face. She slowly climbed down. This was surprising. Normally she would've jumped.

"Simon, I can't hear them."

"What?" Jason looked just about as confused as me.

"I can't hear them," she repeated, dazed. "Normally I can hear everything. They tell me everything."

"It's okay," I said, though I had no idea what she was talking about (as usual). "We're going away now. To New York, okay?"

"Okay."

"Come on, already," Jason muttered. He seemed jittery as he grabbed Summer's hand and my shoulder, throwing a nervous glance back at Percy and Andromeda. A bolt of lightning struck the ground in front of us and the scene disappeared.

Have you ever lightning traveled? No, I didn't think so. Imagine yourself dissolving into thin air, then whizzing at light speed through a blinding void of pure electricity, only to feel like you're being yanked in half and flying into a busy intersection.

Jason cursed as the three of us were dumped onto asphalt. He rolled to his feet instantly, sword out just in time to block a second one from chopping him in half.

Summer pulled me over to the sidelines, but I barely registered that. I was watching Jason snarl at the girl, who I recognized as a member of the Order we'd seen at the Field Museum.

"What are you doing?" he hissed. "We're—" A maintenance truck passed by, drowning out his voice. "—side!"

The girl frowned. "Well, _they_—" Another truck. "—do they?" A car honked at her from behind as it prepared to run her over. In a split second the girl slashed all four tires and hacked the engine in half, barely missing a beat in her fight with Jason.

Surprisingly, Summer wasn't running to help him, like she always was. She was holding my arm in a death grip instead, watching them with a mixture of interest and fear.

I spotted a cab speeding toward us; without thinking I jumped in front of it, throwing my arms out as if I could physically stop it. The hood stopped inches from my knees.

"What the hell, you crazy kid?" the cabbie screamed. "Beat it!"

I yanked him out of the car. "No time! Guys, move it!" I leapt into the driver's seat and slammed on the gas just as their butts hit the seats. We left the girl and the furious driver in the dust, going so fast the passing city was a multicolored blur.

"Who was that?" Summer said.

"Anastasia Chaldean," Jason growled. "She's the head of the Order."

"You don't remember?" I asked. Normally she had a more-than-eidetic memory. She didn't answer me.

I focused on the road. "Where are we going again?"

"Central Park," Jason answered. "Pompey's Pillar."

**Percy's POV  
**

I bolted upright so fast I fell out of the truck I forgot I was sleeping in. My head smacked against the ground so hard I saw stars twinkling around my head for a while. I groaned.

Annabeth's face peered blearily over the edge of the truck, looking annoyed. "What are you doing?" she asked me groggily, rubbing one eye with the back of her hand.

I jumped to my feet, suddenly awake. "Where's Jason?"

She looked at me in confusion, which isn't usual for her, but it was like three in the morning, and even Athena kids don't get up that early, so I didn't blame her. "I don't know," she said. Her voice was a little sharp. She didn't like not knowing. She slid her legs over the back, finger-brushing her hair. "What's sticking out of your pocket?"

"What?"

She plucked it out of my jeans pocket, yawning again. "'Dear Percy and Annabeth, left on a mission for Dad. Took Simon and Summer with me. See you in Canada. —Jason'. Aw, he called us 'dear'." She smirked at me, but frowned when she saw my expression. "What?"

I told her everything I'd seen in my dream. Jason and Hecate, Hecate's proposition, Jason sealing the deal. When I was finished, her mouth was a thin line and her gray eyes were _not_ happy.

"Are you sure?" she asked. "Traitors are _not_ taken lightly with demigods."

"How could I not be sure?" I said. "I saw everything!"

Her expression was grim. "Then we have a problem."

* * *

**P.S. Okay, I forgot to put this with my hyper-ness above, but I know some of you are confused/not too happy about the Egyptians being here. I plan to get rid of them soon, don't worry. In other words, I'm taking care of it, and I don't need to hear it in your reviews anymore because frankly it's kind of a buzz kill, if you know what I mean.**

**Luv you! **

**~ Alice ~**


	17. Rescue Mission 2

**Hi guys! It's Friday! Yay! I just wanted to let you know that from now on, I've decided to recast Andromeda as Annabeth, so I think some of you will like that. I'm not perfect at this, so she'll be at least a little OOC, but oh well. Suck it up, right? Anyway, do you guys think I should do a heavy duty recasting (change EVERYONE?) or just Annabeth/Andromeda? Let me know, and see you next week!**

**

* * *

17/**

**Percy's POV**

"What do we do?" I asked Annabeth.

She immediately started doing what all Athena kids were programmed to do: multitask. She jumped out of the truck, pulling her hair up, swiping her arm across her forehead, fixing her shoelace, and taking a bite of the granola bar from her pocket.

"Damn, the car's out of gas," she said, peering at the dashboard. She stuck her hand inside the window and honked the horn loud enough to split skulls—which it did, sort of.

Tony snorted himself awake so fast he smacked his forehead on the low ceiling of the cab, fell back in pain, cracked his head on the back of his seat, lurched forward instinctively, and finally flattened his own nose on the seat in front of him with a _smack_.

"OW! Godsdammit! OW! GODS! WHAT THE F***!"

Annabeth and I were laughing so hard we had to hold on to each other to keep from collapsing. My vision blurred with tears. Annabeth's laughing drove her all the way to the ground. Mine forced me lean on the truck, but I ended up sitting, laughing my ass off.

I was mid-laugh when— "Ow!" I rubbed the spot on my forehead where Tony's well-aimed rock hit me.

"Stop laughing!" He looked like an angry spoiled child.

That only made Annabeth laugh harder. Tony was furious, but he would never risk throwing anything at her.

"So…funny…" she choked out. The expression on her face got me laughing all over again.

Have you ever laughed so much it hurts? Of course you have. But has it ever happened where your friend gets so pissed he abandons you in the middle of a deserted highway? Well now I can say first-hand I know how that feels.

Annabeth was still laughing, even after the truck disappeared down the road. I wasn't. I threw a rock at her; I missed. She didn't. I grumbled wordlessly at her, but didn't say anything else.

She stopped laughing by now. "He just left us in the middle of [state they're in], didn't he?"

"Uh…yeah," I said.

"Damn," she sighed.

**Nadira's POV**

My heart was beating so hard I was afraid _it_ would hear the sound. Rebecca sat beside me, breathing hard. She was cradling Adam's sword—his _khopesh_. Her face was smeared with blood. Mine probably wasn't much better.

"Stay here," I ordered quietly. She nodded, shivering. I jumped out from behind the crushed car, throwing out my hand. _"HA-DI!"_

The hieroglyphs burned gold above the _bennu_'s head, and the red-and-gold bird exploded, coating me from head to toe in sulfuric-smelling monster dust. I coughed.

I grabbed Rebecca's hand and pulled her to her feet. "Come. We have to find Adam."

My best friend had regained her usual manner; her expression changed from traumatized to angry. "Where do you think he went?"

"I think the _bennu_ mistakenly sent him to another obelisk," I replied. "I know he wasn't there when I killed it. He was gone before that."

"Where's the nearest obelisk?" Rebecca said.

"Cleopatra's Needle," I said. "London."

"Damn," she sighed. "I hate England."

"Agreed." I stepped on the gas. Soon the two of us would be on a plane to—

A roar sliced through the silence. Suddenly the car was thrown far from the road, rolling faster and faster before finally crashing into a tree.

My vision was blurred when I opened my eyes. My hand was smeared with red. My temple was trickling blood. My ankle was throbbing.

The car'd been turned over. I was scrunched against the dashboard. Rebecca was wedged in between the roof and the back seat, barely recovering. I swiped my hand across my forehead, ignoring the blood.

My gaze cleared just in time to see a huge dark shadow through the cracked window, lumbering menacingly out of the smoke. I squeezed into a sitting position and slammed my foot against the weakened windshield in a sad attempt to escape.

Rebecca was conscious now. "Nadira…" she warned. I looked out the window at the sand sphinx, coming closer and closer.

I pounded on the glass again; it moved by an inch. "Help me!" I ordered. She forced her feet into the small space next to mine. We tried to push it open again. We both looked outside, then finally stamped out the glass and slipped through, sprinting down the highway, ignoring our injuries. Or, rather, mine.

Rebecca seemed fine. She even had the strength to turn around and shout, _"HA-WI!"_ The hieroglyphs struck the sphinx in the muzzle; with a screech loud enough to split ears, it vanished into the dark, but I knew it wasn't finished.

"Nadira! Look out!"

I turned. Two white lights blinded me. I couldn't move. There was the sound of metal on flesh, the dull pain in my side. I heard my name screamed once, then my world went dark.

**Peter's POV**

I don't know how many accounts from demigods you've read, but dreams suck. It doesn't matter how much you've heard that, because you'll never understand how much demigods hate to sleep until you are one.

Dreams for demigods are either nightmares, prophecies or messages from gods. Sometimes it's impossible to tell which one is which, since they can all be the same thing. Prophecies and nightmares are the worst. Apollo and Hypnos are the gods who insist on sending demigods complex codes in their dreams, or just scenes that really mess us up.

So every morning at Camp Half-Blood, it's not unusual to hear someone screaming themselves awake or falling out of bed because they dreamed a god murdered their mothers or threw them off a cliff with a rabid boar.

That's sort of how I woke up. Except when I did, I found my hands and feet tied to my bed.

My head was still buzzing and my vision was still blurred, but you can still get pretty pissed even when you are half-dead with fever.

"Peter, calm down!" A wet towel slapped me in the face.

I stopped fighting with my sheets, looking blearily into the face of… "Kate Callampoti?"

She smiled weakly. "Hi, Peter." She pulled her hand out of mine, and I realized I'd been clutching it.

I closed my eyes. "How long was I out?"

"A week or so," she said. "Lily'll be really happy. She's been coming here every day to try to wake you up. She just left."

I tried to get up, but Kate pushed me back down. "What?" I demanded. "I have to go!"

"No, you can't," she said. "I have to keep you here. You're so weak after your coma, I had to feed you myself. And trust me, spoon-feeding a guy in a coma? Not easy."

"Um, thanks," I said. I coughed.

"Here." She pushed a straw between my lips. I drank. Nectar. "Look, you need to rest." She started to sponge my forehead.

"Why are you in the infirmary?" I said. "I thought most Demeter kids would be in the stables, or the arts and crafts center."

"Yeah, well, I'm taking Hannah Duran's place as Miranda Bowman's assistant," she said. She wasn't smiling anymore.

"Hannah?" Hannah and Miranda were my sisters. Hannah was eager and excited about everything, while Miranda was always cool, calm, and businesslike. It was funny, actually, to see them paired together.

"What happened to Hannah?" I demanded.

Kate bit her lip. "Bad things have happened since Alice disappeared, you know that. Percy Jackson, her brother, is gone too. I think you know that too."

"Yeah, so what?" I said.

"Percy, Annabeth, and Tony are on their way to Canada right now. No one knows what for, or why they're doing what they're doing, except to save Alice. Well, everything's been off-track. The Council never stops arguing, especially Anne and Joan. Hannah kind of…got in the middle of everything and…" Her eyes flicked over to the bed next to mine.

I propped myself on one elbow, shocked. My sister was lying there, her head covered in bandages, her arm and leg in a cast, and a black eye. A girl from the Ares cabin was sitting next to her, asleep. I recognized her as Nicky Petrelli, but I didn't know why she was with Hannah.

"They're…friends," Kate sniffed. Her tone made it obvious she didn't like that. I guess I didn't like it so much either.

"Go to sleep," Kate said after a while. "I'll stay with you until you're off, then I'll tell Anne you're awake."

I eyed her, but I closed my eyes. I was asleep before she could sponge me again.

**Ananbeth's POV**

Percy and I walked. And walked. And walked. I'd swapped my t-shirt for my tank top, and we'd both rolled up our jeans in an attempt to get cooler, but Apollo's sun chariot insisted on boiling our blood.

Half an hour into being baked in our skulls, we ended up slumping in the biggest spot of shade we could find, which actually shaded us up to our knees. Percy's head started drooping on my shoulder. I didn't blame him; heat makes people sleepy. Before I knew it my head was drooping on Percy's.

A honk woke us both up. I opened one eye to see Tony sitting in the same car he'd drove off in, grinning. I got to my feet, dragging Percy with me into the cab.

"Stop smirking, you smug bastard," I mumbled. "Or I swear to Nemesis I will slap it right off your rat face."

"Sure," he grinned.

I closed my eyes and pretended to sleep. I waited until Tony turned back to the road, that smug look still on his face. I punched him in the face.

**Jason's POV**

"Are we there yet?" Simon asked.

I shook my head. "No. We'll be there soon." I looked back at him. His black hair was matted with blood, and his face was beaded with sweat, but then again, mine probably wasn't looking any better.

Summer was sitting in a fetal position next to him, rocking back and forth. She was still mumbling about not being able to hear, but I'd just ignored her, since she hadn't caused any problems.

But now she tugged on Simon's sleeve. "Simon," she murmured. "Something's wrong."

I stiffened. Did she get her psychic powers back? Could she know what I was planning? Damn! My hands tightened on the wheel.

"Hey, weren't you supposed to turn left already?" Simon's voice broke through my thoughts.

"Oh, right," I said absently. I did a U-turn and swerved onto the right street, forcing a whimper out of Summer and a dirty look out of Simon.

Central Park rose into view, casting long shadows while the sun set. That scared me a little. I was betraying my friends. Which means I was betraying the gods. Which means they would be hunting my ass to the point of my elimination. That scared me even more.

My hands were sweaty on the wheel now. I'd never given my deal with Set another thought. A high position in Set's new court? Salvation from his Armageddon? Sounded great to me. "Thank the gods," I said. "We're finally here."

"Yeah, all it took was one manticore, three dracaenae, and five empuses," Simon said, frowning.

"Whatever," I snapped. Then I sighed. "Sorry. I'm just…nervous, I guess."

"Not the only one," Summer murmured, but only I heard her.


	18. Mysteries

**18/**

**Jason's POV**

I pulled up to the curb. The three of us got out slowly. I didn't see anything but a normal Central Park, the one I'd been seeing since I was a baby.

"What are we looking for again?" Simon asked, shading his eyes with one hand.

"Pompey's Pillar," I said. "It's an obelisk."

"Obelisk?" he repeated. "Why would Apollo want to pick up Summer at an obelisk?"

I shrugged. "How should I know? Gods are weird sometimes." Thunder rumbled lightly over our heads. "Calm down," I muttered. "Didn't do anything wrong." My heartbeat quickened at the lie.

"I don't see an obelisk," Simon said, squinting at the skyline.

I squinted too. _Where is it?_ I demanded silently. _You promised I would see it!_

_Be calm, son of Zeus,_ Hecate's voice spoke in my mind. _You will see it shortly._

He was right. Almost instantly a red line appeared at my feet, shooting left, then right, then zooming out of sight. This was what he thought was directions? Ugh.

I tugged on Simon's sleeve. "This way."

He and Summer followed me, her face blank, his face puzzled. "How do you know?"

"I don't know how I know," I lied. "I just do." I followed the line eagerly, and soon I saw it. A tall white obelisk, rising so high I could imagine a plane crashing into it. Its name was chiseled into the center of the white granite. It really was impressive.

You'd think a monument like that, tourists would be snapping pictures 24/7, but no one was there. They weren't even looking at it.

"What's…?" Simon trailed off.

"They can't see it," I realized out loud. "Must've hidden it from them."

"Who?"

"Who?" Summer repeated. She'd changed her attitude inhumanly again. "One of the gods, you dipstick."

Simon blinked, then his face hardened. "Yeah, Summer. I know. I'm just trying to be careful. Nothing is what it seems when we're _us_."

"You have no idea," she murmured. "Hasn't even started yet." But again, I was the only one who hard her.

Her words scared me. Could she have her psychic powers back? She would know what I was up to. She'd alert Simon. And I'd be in very deep shit.

Hecate. She promised she would interfere with her psychics!

_Stop whining!_ Hecate's annoyance exploded in my mind. _I may not be as _good_, but I am a goddess who keeps her promises._

Seconds later Summer's eyes rolled up into her head. Her legs collapsed out from under her. Simon, always the savior for his little sister, caught her. "Summer!"

"Godsdammit!" I swore. "What's wrong with her now?"

"I don't know!" Simon fought to keep his voice under control. "She's done this before, but…" He pressed his fingers to the inside of her wrist, then just under her chin. "…but normally her heart stops, just for a few seconds. I suppose it's the shock of her visions."

"And now?" I said impatiently.

"It's…beating," he said. "Crazy fast. She might have cardiac arrest." Just as he stopped speaking, Summer started convulsing like she was having a seizure. Somehow the mortals were seeing none of this. Don't get me wrong, I was grateful for that, but almost none of this was going according to plan.

_Alright, alright! Don't over do it! _I said in my head. Set didn't reply, but Summer stopped seizing.

"What the hell was _that?_" I said.

"I have no clue," he said.

"Here," I said. I hooked my arms under Summer's armpits and lifted her up halfway. "Well?" I demanded, looking at Simon expectantly. He sighed, but grabbed her feet. Together we laid her on a park bench. Simon sat next to her, doing 'doctor stuff'.

Damn. Hecate went too far, and now I had to deal with Summer being sick, or whatever was happening to her now.

"Jason, go to the nearest pharmacy and get me theses supplies," Simon's voice interrupted my thoughts. Again.

I snatched the list from his hand. "Whatever. Do. Not. Go. Anywhere. I'll be back."

"Hurry up," he ordered.

I didn't like his attitude, but I just scoffed and went back to the car. I slammed the door hard. I hated driving. I could travel easier by lightning, but people are everywhere in New York City. In a way, driving without a license was even worse. If any squad car drove by, I had to pull over and dive under the seats, praying they wouldn't find me and I wouldn't have to do anything…unnecessary.

I cursed as an old lady in a Mustang cut me off. She gave me the finger when I honked at her, only making me more angry.

_Calm down!_ Hecate ordered. _You will cause trouble!_ _Now make haste and get the supplies for the girl, or I will have your head!_

_We had a deal!_ I insisted silently. _You need me._ _Or should I just abandon my mission now?_

_NO! _Hecate's refusal nearly ruined my mind._ Not when you are so_ _close! _

_Fine! Fine!_ I said. _Just shut up and leave me so I can finish this!_ And her presence was gone.

I steeled my nerves. My hands tightened on the wheel. I knew what I was doing was completely worth it. I wasn't going back on my deal. Or I would be dead. I frowned. Gods, what the hell did I get myself into?

**The Order POV**

Tess bit her lip. Her heart was racing at the thought of what she was about to do.

Ryan Marshall's Mac sat three feet away from her. The Apple logo on the front blinked, as if taunting her. Her stomach flipped uncomfortably.

Going near Ryan's laptop was never a good idea. Touching it? Even worse. But going on the Internet and Googling what she was about to Google? She might as well've asked Ryan to slit her throat.

But she needed to do this. So she steeled her nerves, and slid into Ryan's chair.

An hour later, everything was done. Ryan's laptop was lying in the exact same spot she found it, as if it had never been touched. The bowls and beakers she'd had to use were sitting on the shelf in that miserable excuse for a kitchen in the corner, as if they'd never been moved.

Tess was now lying on her cot, the makeshift…sonogram sitting beside her. The Order was out for the next few hours, thank the gods, and their masters didn't care about her enough to go near her, let alone check on her, all alone in their headquarters. It was like telling her she wasn't good enough to mess with their plans. But that didn't matter right now.

She stared at the screen anxiously, waiting for the grainy picture to form. Her heart was slamming against her ribs in terror, waiting for Sofia or Carissa or Damien to walk in and find her there.

Her breath caught. Was that…? Yes! It was…

A bang sounded from outside the metal door. Back already?

Tess leapt up, threw the crappy machine she'd made into sick bay, and dived into her cot just as the door slid open. Nervousness flashed through her chest. It was everyone. From the look of them, she needed to stay away from them. Or, _her_, to be more specific.

"No!" Anastasia snapped at someone. Sounded to Tess like she was in one of her stubborn moods.

"But she could _help_," Leo insisted, coming into Tess's line of sight.  
Anastasia turned her cold, steely black gaze on him. "I repeat: Hell. And no." She whirled around, saw Tess, and…smiled. That scared her.

Tess had never seen Anastasia smile, except at Damien. She never even acknowledged Tess's presence, let alone _smiled_ at her.

"Tess," Anastasia said. "Will you do something for me?" Tess hesitated. She didn't want to know what Anastasia had in mind, but what could she say? No? What a joke.

"Yes," she said.

"Good," Anastasia said, her smile widening. "Settle an argument between me and Leo. He thinks we should put you out in the field. He's convinced you can help us. What do you think?"

Tess's eyes flashed to Leo. "I doubt I could be useful," she said to Anastasia, knowing that was exactly what she wanted to hear. "I'm just a healer. Just a nurse."  
"That's what I thought," Anastasia said, sounding pleased. She turned to Leo. "See? Even she says no." Her tone turned deadly. "Now DROP IT."

He held up his hands in an 'I surrender' motion. "Fine, fine. Don't get your panties in a knot."

Damien smacked him on the back of the head as he walked in. "Watch your mouth when you're talking to 'er," he said in a low voice. His British accent made him even more menacing.

Leo obviously knew better than to argue. Everyone did. He nodded.

"Why did you do that?" he demanded of Tess when he sat down beside her. "I don't like you here with _them_ all by yourself. You'd be safer with me, even in the field."

"It's too dangerous," she said quietly.

He frowned. "Not as dangerous as it is down here."

_Tell him!_ That small voice at the back of her mind screamed at her. "Leo." She grabbed his arm as he stood to leave. "I have to tell you something."

His face changed at the tone of seriousness in her voice. "What is it?" he said loudly.

"Shh!" she hissed. She pulled him to sit next to her again.

"What is it?" he said again, more quietly this time.

Tess leaned in so close her lips were almost touching his ear. "I'm pregnant," she said in an inaudible whisper.

He pulled back sharply to stare at her. "Mine?" he managed finally.

She looked around nervously, as if she were afraid they were being watched. Which, of course, they were. They always were. "Yes, yours," Tess answered Leo quietly. "Who else's would it be?"

"Do you know...?" he seemed to be in shock.

"Boy," she whispered. "It's a boy."

"What're we going to do?"

Tess could tell he wanted to get up and pace, but they were both all too aware of Anastasia and Damien in the room.

She flinched at the thought of what Anastasia might do if she ever found out. To her, to Leo, to the baby... She shuddered.

"We have to leave," she told him so quietly she almost didn't say it at all. "As soon as possible."

He nodded, still dazed. "How?"

They were standing their masters' throne room now. The prisoner strung from the ceiling was listening to their every word, though they didn't know it. The chains rattled slightly as she raised her head, revealing bright, glittering green eyes.

She smiled.

**Percy's POV**

"Hey, slow down, will you?" I said to Annabeth as she sped through  
the streets.

"No!" she said. "We can't afford to slow down! We have to get to Summer and Simon in New York!"

"We're in Quebec!" Tony said. "That'll take HOURS!"

"_Five_ hours," Annabeth corrected. She smiled. "Maybe three." I scooted away from her a little, startled at how much her expression looked like Tony's. My stomach flattened against my spine as she slammed her foot on the gas pedal, throwing all of us back.

To New York City.


	19. Camp Corrupted, Rebels Compromised

**19/**

**Peter's POV**

I wanted to tear my hair out. Every member of the Council was yelling.

Joan DeWitt was bellowing at Brian Bush across the table. Tyler Bryce was arguing with Elijah Andrews. James Bentley was stupidly provoking Zoë Perish, while his sister, Elizabeth, was trying not to explode at Mariah Evans. Little Lily Bloom was taking on both the Stoll twins at once, climbing up on the table so she could reach their eye-level.

Anne Grey and me were the only ones not picking a fight. Her 'cause she was too wise, me 'cause I didn't want to end up in pieces.

I glanced over at Alice's empty seat. Gods, I wished she was here. She would've stood by now, and everyone would've shut up. Camp was in chaos without her. The Council was ready to tear itself apart. Yes, I know that sounds cliché and like she's too perfect (most people have started to notice that), but it's true.

I sighed. Anne's eyes met mine across the table, and for a second we were thinking the same thing. She nodded. We both got up and tiptoed out the door, into the quiet hall of the Big House.

"I wish she was here," Anne said. "I know sometimes we make her seem flawless, but I think that's just because everyone refuses to see her faults."

"That's what I was just thinking," I said.

She sighed. "I just can't believe we're not doing anything about it. We should be going to rescue her, shouldn't we?"

"What can we do?" I shrugged. "Remember what happened the last time we tried?"

Her mouth flattened. "Yes, of course I do. But what now, we just leave her? Or wait for her to rescue herself?"

"No," I said. "We wait for _Jackson and his friends_ to rescue her."

She frowned even more. "I thought my sister was wise enough not to leave camp."

"Hey, she was just doing what all of us wanted to do," I said. "She was just smarter at doing it."

Her expression soured. Oops. I braced myself.

"Whatever," was all she said, so I considered myself safe for now.

We walked out the Big House door in silence. The usual sound of rushing water was strangely rough; when I looked over, I saw Harmonia the naiad pacing in her creek, water from the waist down. The current was swirling angrily around her.

"Better not risk it," Anne murmured, touching my arm lightly.

I nodded. We steered away from Harmonia—but bumped into Daphne and Ariadne, Ariadne frowning and crossing her arms, Daphne dragging Brett the satyr by the ear. They did not look happy.

If you're wondering, all the nymphs at Camp Half-Blood are named after famous people in ancient Greece. Like Daphne #1 was a dryad who ran away from Apollo when he tried to date her. So then her dad, a river god, turned her into a laurel tree. And original Ariadne was the princess of Crete, who helped the hero Theseus kill the Minotaur and escape from Daedalus's labyrinth. Don't worry, I won't drone, but you get the idea.

Daphne looked murderous. She took a step forward. Anne and me took a step back.

"Do you _know_ what I caught this _thing_ doing?" Daphne demanded. Her Greek accent made her voice even more dangerous than usual.

I didn't want to know, but I said, "Um…okay?" Daphne huffed.

"He was _spying_ on us!" Ariadne said.

"_Gamoto, tha ithela itan edo gia na ascholithei me afto,"_ Anne muttered in Greek, which was basically a string of curses I won't repeat.

"You don't have to say it like _that,_" I muttered back.

Anne sighed. "Okay, look, I'll take him." She took Brett's ear from Daphne.

"We'll deal with him," I promised. "Go back to your trees."

"You'd better deal with him," Daphne threatened. She and Ariadne retreated into the forest, melting into the trees with one more glare.

"Really, Brett?" Anne said once the satyr pulled his ear from her grip. "You know how hard it is on us—!"

"Yeah, because _Alice_ isn't here," he snapped, clip-clopping a few steps back.

Anne's mouth curled. "Yes. But you know better. Did Derek put you up to this? Did you guys have one of your idiotic truth-or-dare poker games again?"

"Shut up!" Brett hissed. "People aren't supposed to know about that!"

"Whatever," Anne said. "This camp struggles every day to survive. With Hecate on the loose and Alice gone, we barely manage. And it's not helping that you're screwing around."

"So?"

Anne stepped closer to him. "So get your act together or the Council's kicking you out."

Brett's face wrinkled in disbelief. "You can't kick me out!"

"Damn right we can," she snapped. "The only reason you're here is because Derek brought you here and convinced us that we couldn't let you live in a refrigerator box under the freeway!"

Brett looked hurt, but he stuck out his tongue and clip-clopped into the trees. I looked at Anne. "Did you have to be so…harsh?" I said.

"What are you talking about?" she growled.

"Um, nothing," I said.

"Poor Brett."

Anne and me jumped a foot in the air, but neither of us were surprised when we saw Parker Larcener standing next to us.

Actually she wasn't standing—she was balancing on one hand upside-down, bouncing an apple up and down in the palm of her free hand.

"Parker," I sighed. "You're awake."

"Why so glum, chum?" she grinned. "Peter's not happy to see Parker?"

I opened my mouth. "Of course he is," Anne cut in. "We're glad you're okay."

"Good," Parker said. She took a bite out of her apple without wobbling. "So, I think I'm gonna go steal the Hope diamond from the Smithsonian. Can I go, or what?"

Anne raised an eyebrow. "Again?"

Parker rolled her eyes. From where she was (upside-down) that looked pretty crazy. "Yes, again. I lost it to the cops, remember? I want it back!"

"Fine, go," Anne said. "Who are you taking?"

Parker thought for a second, taking another bite from her apple. She flipped herself onto her feet and shook her head dazedly. "Sorry, got dizzy—I'll take Alec, and…Lily Bloom."

"What?" I said. "She's like, eight!"

"So?" Parker flicked a speck of dirt off the red skin of her apple. "That's nothing. When I was eight, I was a getaway driver."

"For who?" Anne wanted to know.

"None of your business, that's who," she grinned. "So, I'm gonna take off, okay? Be back in a couple days maximum." She winked, threw the now-apple-core over her shoulder, and backspringed toward the house.

I sighed. Anne did too. "Want some brownies?" she said finally.

"You're joking, right?" We started for the dining pavilion.

"ROOAARR!" echoed from the trees.

We froze. And looked at each other.

"What was that?"

**Percy's POV**

"Watch it!" I yelled at Annabeth. "You almost flattened that squirrel!"

"Sor-_ry_!" she shot back. "Trying to save Simon and Summer here!"

I managed to glare at her. "Okay, well could you do it slower please? You're gonna kill something!"

"Or us," Tony gulped from the backseat. "Annie, I'm sorry for everything I've ever said about everything, I didn't mean any of—HHHHH!" —Annabeth flooring the gas pedal.

She was going so fast the buildings and homes blurred by in a blend of house-colors. My stomach was flat against my spine. My whole face was sucked back by the force of our speed. Honestly, I was surprised we hadn't accidentally run over several people—or at least totaled a pharmacy. I was just getting ready to puke when the best and worst possible thing happened.

Out of absolutely nowhere, three figures flashed in front of the car; two of them were gone in an instant, but the third froze in the middle of the street, staring in total shock right through the windshield and straight at the three of us.

There was the thump of the pedal, the screeching of the tires, and the sickening thud of the front bumper nailing some poor hobo in the side. Of course, all of this happened seconds before I found myself peeling the left side of my face off the windshield. Tony was unconscious when I looked back. Annabeth was…fine. How is she always fine?

We sat there for a few seconds, stunned, before we both catapulted out of the car, she probably to check if our victim was alive, me to stare at a jacked-up hobo. But—

Annabeth gasped. I blinked and took a step back.

"Whoa…_that's_ not a hobo."

Annabeth would've glared at me if she could, but she was too busy gaping. "Of course that's not a hobo! It's Jason!"

* * *

"Thank God you're here!"

We turned. It was…

"Simon?" I said.

Annabeth blinked. "You're okay?"

"Yeah, we're fine." We weren't surprised to see one of Summer's inhuman changes in behavior. Summer's dress was ripped and her sweater was gone. Simon's jeans were scuffed and one of his shoes was missing. Both of their faces were smeared with dirt, grime, and blood, and their identical black hair was matted with sweat, but otherwise they seemed fine.

"He was trying to force me into the Pillar when you two showed up," Summer went on.

We all looked down at Jason. "What should we do with him?" I said.

"Send him back," Summer said.

"Back?" Annabeth repeated. "Back where?"

"Back to Camp Half-Blood," she said matter-of-factly.

"Are you crazy?" Annabeth exclaimed after a few moments. "We can't do that! We won't get within three miles of camp without being mutilated by Joan **(Clarisse?)** first!"

"I know," she said calmly. "That's why I have a plan."

Simon, Annabeth, and me all stared at her. Simon looked like he didn't want to know, but I said, "You have a plan?"

She smiled sweetly, like a little girl who just got an ice cream cone. "No, but Annabeth will in around two seconds."

We looked at her. She blinked. "Well?" Simon said finally. She just smiled exactly like Summer.

"Got it."

**Lily's POV**

I sighed with my eyes closed. The Demeter cabin was so quiet I could've heard a pin drop. It had never been this serene before. Not that I'm complaining. I can't tell you how glad I was for the silence. Now I could hear the soothing ticking sound of the tumblers in the heavy industrial lock Parker Larcener had given me.

Safecracking was an interesting, yet 'necessary' skill I had to learn. I was practicing now, but all it was doing was frustrating me. I needed to learn this. The silence was helping, but not the irritation. And Parker wasn't helping either. She wasn't the best teacher.

She got distracted by everything; her eye was drawn by anything shiny or remotely more expensive than three thousand dollars.

But I liked Parker. She got to leave camp on a mere whim, taking another demigod or two with her, to steal an old diamond from a museum or a vase from an art gallery. I wanted that freedom.

I'd gotten a taste of Parker's life recently. Alice—when she was here—allowed Parker to leave (and steal), but she always found a way to return whatever was taken—if she could find where Parker had hidden it. Parker didn't like having her toys taken away.

So she took advantage of Alice's absence and decided to steal back one of her most precious shiny objects: the Hope diamond. And she'd taken me with her.

The chill of the night wind, the thrill of the heist, the awesomeness of standing on the roof of the Smithsonian at two a.m., I loved it all.

But thieving wasn't really my style. So of course I got bored with lock picking. I headed for the arena, whistling. But I froze mid-step halfway out the door.

"José?"

José Rodriguez snorted himself awake. "Whazzgoin'on?" José was the only son of Hypnos, the god of sleep. If you were ever looking for him, the best place to start was in his bed. And even if you found him in that pile of blankets, you still had the impossible mission of waking him up.

I raised an eyebrow. "Why are you sleeping on my cabin?"

Half-awake, José seemed confused. "I'm at the Aphrodite cabin?"

I scowled. "No! Don't ever compare me to those pansies. They're all like a bunch of raccoons with a Justin Bieber addiction."

"Beavers?"

"Never mind. What are you doing here?" I made sure to say every word slowly and carefully—you could never count on keeping a Hypnos kid focused.

"Wha…? Oh, right…they wanted to see you—" he interrupted himself with a huge yawn that cracked his jaw.

"Who wanted to see me?" I pressed.

"Um, the ducks? No, owls? Right! Um, Anne Grey wants to see you. And Joan DeWitt. And Brian Bush. And Peter Montgomery…." His head started to droop.

I snapped her fingers in his face to kept him awake. "Peter's awake? And why do they want me?"

"How should [yawn] I know? They said something…something about newbies…yeah that's it!" José seemed proud that he could remember. "_¡Lo hicimos!_ ….Wait, where's Dora?"

"Go back to your cabin," I said. "Dora and Boots are waiting for you."

"Oh, good…Wait, did they bring the cake?"

I ignored that and took off to the Big House without him. Newbies? She wasn't surprised in the least. New kids had been popping up all over the place, most of them belonging to the minor gods.

The Council had to order a hasty building of the new cabins: Iris, Hypnos, Nemesis, Janus, and so on. I spotted the Hephaestus cabin working on the new Ilithyia cabin now—the goddess of childbirth. I wrinkled my nose.

I was walking through the Big House door now. The halls were empty, but definitely _not_ silent.

Overlapping, angry voices were coming from down the first hall, the third door on the left. The infirmary. Before I even walked in, I knew the Council was arguing. Peter Montgomery, barely recovering from his coma, was sitting bolt upright in bed, yelling at Mariah Evans across the room, who was yelling at Joan DeWitt, who was bellowing at…well, you get it: they always argue.

The drawn white curtain in the corner told me that Hannah Duran and Anne Grey were still behind it, no doubt just as jacked up as I'd seen them last. I didn't want to see that sight again. I looked away, the memory of their accidents flashing through my mind.

The Council was turning corrupt. Anne Grey was sure that they'd survive fine without Alice to hold them together like glue, but things weren't going well. Especially since Anne got hurt with that haywire dragon from the Cabin Nine. I tried not to think about that.

Kate Callampoti was the only one not screaming. She didn't notice me looking at her, but my eyes gravitated toward her hand, which was inside…Peter's?

Oh, gods, the Aphrodite cabin would be all over this. But then again, I _did_ have a bone to pick with Elizabeth Bentley. Maybe if I told Elizabeth about Kate in exchange for… Yeah, that's what I'd do…

**Percy's POV**

I shifted Jason's weight over my now-numb shoulder. My back was killing me, and carrying Jason was _not_ helping. I managed to glare sideways at Annabeth. "How do you always come up with the _worst_ plans?"

She opened her mouth, gray eyes playful, but Simon cut in. "It's not _the worst_ plan," he said.

"Thank you, Simon," Annabeth said.

"Yeah, I like this plan," Tony said. I turned to glare at him too, but Jason's arm flapped in my face and hit me in the nose, making him laugh even harder. I scowled. It was his fault Jason was unconscious again anyway. He just _had _to wake up right when were putting Jason in the truck and accidentally-on-purpose punch him in the face. So now he had a black eye _and_ I had to carry him.

"Stop here," Annabeth said. "This is where the last trap was."

"Annabeth? Percy?"

We all stiffened at the sound of the voice. I managed to uncap Riptide with one hand. Annabeth pulled her knife. Summer twirled a hammer I didn't know she had. Simon produced…was that a fork?

The girl was wearing full Greek battle armor, standing next to a sapphire blue dragon the size of a school bus. She studied us with beady black eyes. Her left eyebrow twitched like it wanted to shoot toward her forehead.

"Nicky?" Annabeth seemed confused. She lowered her knife.

The girl's hand twitched away from her sword. "Yeah, I'm on patrol this week."

I held Riptide higher, dropped Jason, and shot Annabeth a warning look. _What are you doing?_ I tried to say silently. _Get rid of her!_

She looked like she understood. Her gray eyes flicked back to the girl. "Are you going to snitch on us, Nicky?" Annabeth challenged. She twirled her knife once.

Nicky looked at Annabeth, then me, then at Simon and Summer, her gaze lingering on Simon's fork. "No," she said finally.

"What?" I said, so surprised I lowered Riptide.

"No," she said again. "I'm not ruining your chances. I never saw you guys." She turned, pulling the dragon along with her, then paused and turned halfway. "Oh, and if you guys are looking for that old trap, you're standing on it."

We all jumped back. When I looked up again, Nicky was gone. And so was the dragon. "Who was that?" I said.

"Nicky Petrelli, daughter of Ares," Annabeth said, sheathing her knife. "I didn't know Cabin Nine's old trap was right here." She got on her knees and started digging in the soft dirt. We watched her. Simon tossed his fork away. Summer stowed her hammer out of sight. I slipped Riptide into my pocket.

Annabeth was practically up to her armpit into the ground when she pulled a rope as thick around as my wrist out of the ground. "Ah, here we go. Percy, help me."

I did. Together we pulled and dug and yanked until the rope hauled a long wooden beam out of the earth. What looked like a huge spoon followed it, along with a kind of cart with wheels. We all stared at it.

"Is…that a catapult?" Simon said.

"Yes," Annabeth admitted. "The Hephaestus cabin built it a couple centuries back to ward off mortals. Now if we could just turn it the other way…" Simon and me helped her shove it so it was facing the camp.

"Wait," Simon said. "Are you trying to blow up the camp?"

"No," Summer said.

"No," Annabeth confirmed. "Percy, put Jason there," she pointed at the spoon- thing.

"What?" I said.

"Put him there," she repeated. I grunted when I picked him up, but I managed to drop him inside. I took a big step back. Simon looked uncomfortable. Summer seemed distracted. Annabeth took out her knife. She started sawing on the thick rope. Soon, after serious hacking, there was one thin cord left.

Annabeth stepped back, panting a little. She looked at all of us. "Ready?"

We all took a big step back, but I said, "Knock yourself out." Simon nodded. Summer smiled slightly. Annabeth raised her knife.

With one slice, lots of creaks, and a few snaps, Jason was catapulted through the air. "Do you think he'll be okay?" I said as we watched him fly.

"Oh, he'll be fine," Annabeth said. But the five of us winced when we heard the screams and the loud crash.

"Ouch," Simon said, wrinkling his nose.

"He's a perfect distraction," Summer said mildly.

"We have to make our decision now," Annabeth said. "They'll be coming after us within five minutes."

"Go to Canada," Summer said suddenly. "That's where it is."

"That's where what is?" I said.

"The key." She held out Euterpe's music box (and don't ask me where she put it, 'cause I have no idea). She gave it to Annabeth. "The key goes here," Summer pointed at a small hole in the side. "It's somewhere in," she paused, "Montreal. I don't know exactly where. But you do have to make it there by sunset."

Annabeth checked the time. "That's in seven hours. Now, like Summer said, Jason is the perfect distraction. You two have about two minutes to get down there and merge with the crowd. Go to the Apollo cabin. Whatever you do, do _not_ go to Peter, Miranda, or Shawn. Emily is your best bet. Emily Archer. She'll help you. And _don't get caught._"

"Thank you for everything," Simon said. "We owe you three." Summer just smiled, but we knew that was high praise coming from her.

Shouts made us jump. Quick as a flash, Annabeth pulled her knife, slit her thumb, and said very fast, "I, Annabeth Chase, give you permission to enter camp."

A wall of shimmering gold appeared in front of us, then sank into the ground. Simon and Summer were gone as soon as the gold was, with a small wave.

Annabeth, Tony, and me watched them scramble down the hill. "Come on," Annabeth said finally. "We have to go."

"Right," I agreed. We hurried back to the car.

"What now?" Tony said as we drove away. "I wasn't listening."

"We're going to the airport," Annabeth said. "We have to get to Montreal by sunset."

* * *

The drive to the airport took more than an hour. I tried to stay awake so I could keep Annabeth from killing Tony, but before I knew it, the ride lulled me to sleep. I assumed Tony would be deader than a doornail within ten minutes or less. I didn't feel too guilty.

I woke up with a start. I was standing in a room that was completely blue. And I'm talking _blue_.

Turquoise alabaster wall, blue coral ceiling, tile floors with a slight blue tinge. Even the air was sort of bluish. It was heavier and humid, and a little hard to breathe. The walls were decorated with pearls, shells, and weapons. Vases with strange underwater plants decorated every corner. The king-sized bed was adorned with gold, jewels, and gossamer.

Suddenly I knew where I was, though I had neither seen nor been there before: Poseidon's palace.

I heard a small clicking behind me; I turned just in time to see the door swing open, with the last person I expected to see behind it.


	20. I Finally Get Some Answers

**Yes, I no very well that Im late, thank u. Fridays r the most beautiful thing of the week, I 4got to post this chapter. I no I hate it like hell wen my fav author 4gets to post (not that Im saying Im ur fav author or anything), so just as an apology, I'll post Ch 21 too. ur welcome, ppl! :)**

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**20/**

**Percy's POV**

"Alice?" I said.

She didn't look at me. She was hurriedly stuffing a few silver lock-picking tools into a pouch at her hip. She rushed into the room, slamming the door behind her. Breathing hard, she backed up a few steps, then karate-kicked the gold handle off the door.

"I'm sorry, Father," I heard her mutter.

"Alice," I tried again. I waved my hand in front of her face, but she didn't see me.

I understood. I was intruding on one of her memories again—a flashback of her past. But why was she breaking into Dad's palace?

I tried to ignore that question for now. Alice seemed nervous, _scared_ even. Her eyes flicked anxiously around the room. "Sword…sword…" she muttered to herself. Her gaze settled on the wall behind me; I looked.

Two gold swords were crossed over a metal plaque mounted on the wall, one shinier than the other. The grimy one had a _P_ engraved in the blade, while the other sported a clean _A_.

The door shook suddenly, like someone was trying to get in. The broken handle rattled. Alice was across the room in a flash. She was reaching for the swords—when the door banged open.

A flash of silver passed by my face so fast it took me a second to register the movement. There was the weird, water-muffled sound of knife sinking into flesh and a little grunt.

I glanced at the door. The dude in the doorway was still standing. He was obviously underwater royalty. A gold crown glinted in his black hair, and his belt glittered with gems. He flicked his double tail, looking calmly at Alice's silver knife protruding from his blue chest, his blood floating away gently in the water. He plucked out the blade. The wound closed up instantly.

"Sister," the merman said. The silver knife flashed between them. "How lovely to see you again."

Alice raised her hand just in time to catch her knife. "Brother," she said. Her hand tightened around her knife.

"I see you have joined Artemis's ranks," he said. "How old are you now?"

She was silent for a moment. "Four hundred and eighty three," she replied finally. "How old are _you?_"

The merman changed the subject. "Why are you in Father's room?" he asked. "The guards did not permit you to enter."

"I scaled the walls. I need something from Father," she said. "You know what it is. And you know I can't leave without it."

"Ah," the guy said, "but I cannot allow you to leave _with _it. Father's orders, you know."

Alice's lip curled. "You aren't on _Father's orders_, Triton. You hate his demigod children—you always have! I'm merely trying to right the wrong here. I need—"

"_I _need you gone," Triton interrupted. He wasn't nonchalant anymore. He was pissed.

Alice suddenly had her bow ready, arrow notched. "I don't want to, but I _will_ kill you if I have to."

"You cannot _kill _an immortal," Triton's lips lifted in a smug smile, like he was talking to a little kid.

"You know what I mean!" Alice snapped. "Now step aside!"

"I cannot do that."

Alice looked like that was the last straw. She reached for the swords with her free hand.

Triton's eyes flashed. His sword did too. A cut opened up on Alice's cheek. She released her arrow instantly. With a twang and a muffled thwack, it hit Triton between the eyes. He collapsed.

_"Vlacas,"_ Alice muttered (which is basically calling herself an idiot in Greek). The cut on her face started to close. She didn't seem to care. She plucked the _P_ sword off the wall. Placing it under her foot, she forcefully snapped the blade from the hilt with a loud _clang_. Commands in Greek reached the room suddenly, not far away. Her head snapped up. She stuffed the hilt of the sword in her pouch.

Alice launched herself through the window. The water swirled under her feet like a vortex, pushing her to the surface.

The dream changed as soon as my sister was gone. I was now standing in a cluster of trees, looking out on a huge park and a lake.

"Yes, I _agree_ with you."

I jumped at the voice. Alice was standing right next to me, crouching in the bushes, eyes on the water of the lake.

She was fastening something around her wrist: a watch. She turned the little dial, then pressed down on the face. Her body flickered out of sight, but kept flickering.

"Damn," her voice said. "The invisibility setting's malfunctioning again."

Something growled. I looked past my sister. A giant wolf was lying beside her under the bushes—the very wolf I'd seen moping outside the Big House. It growled again and nudged Alice's flickering arm.

"Yes, I _know_," she said. "Five minutes, got it. Let me know when you hear them coming."

She disappeared completely then. The bushes rustled as my invisible sister went through them. I watched footprints imprint themselves in the grass, the mud, and the sand. Then there was a disembodied splash in the lake.

The mortals were confused for a few seconds; they stared around the park in puzzlement, but went back to normal when nothing happened.

I ran over to the edge of the lake. I couldn't see Alice through the surface. So I stuck my head in. Alice was kneeling at the bottom, digging with her hands. I watched her for a few seconds, not getting any of it, when it finally hit me.

A howl split the air, even underwater. Alice's head snapped up instantly. She started swimming to the surface. But I never got to see what happened next because—

"Percy!" Someone was shaking my shoulder. I bolted upright so fast I almost fell out the open door. "Percy, wake up. We're at the airport." Annabeth's face floated blurrily into my vision.

"I know where it is!" I blurted, jumping out of the car with new energy.

"Where what is?" she said blankly.

"The key!" I said excitedly.

"Hey!" Tony was standing in line at Terminal 1 already. "Hurry up!"

"Come on," Annabeth pulled me inside. Instantly I felt queasy. I pulled back. She looked at me funny. "What's wrong?"

Even though I had a feeling she already knew, I said, "I…don't like airports."

Her grip loosened on my arm. "Oh, right," she sighed.

"What?" I said.

"Well—"

"Come on, guys!" Tony was waving at us frantically. "I got the tickets!"

Annabeth's expression didn't change. "Look, I'll explain on the plane, okay? Just come on." She pulled me along before I could protest.

* * *

Each and every terminal, gate, and checkpoint was scarier than a Greek monster. Annabeth had to drag me through everything. Even on the plane I was terrified. I had my seatbelt fastened twice around me the second I sat down. Now I was trying to go to my happy place.

"Percy." Annabeth was shaking my shoulder again.

I refused to open my eyes. "What?"

"We haven't taken off yet."

"Shut up," I grumbled. "I'm just not…good with planes, okay?"

"I know," she said gently. "You're acrophobic."

I opened one eye. "I'm what?"

A small smile was playing on her face. "Acrophobic," she repeated. "You're scared of heights."

"I didn't even know I was acro…acor…_that_ until today," I said.

She sighed. "Percy, have you ever been on a plane before?"

"No," I said.

"That's because your mother knew," she said matter-of-factly.

"Knew what?"

Annabeth looked like she wanted to roll her eyes. "Gods, you're slow. She knew that Zeus would go crazy if you were in his domain. You're the son of Poseidon, god of the seas, whose rival is Zeus, god of the skies. So she could safely assume that you were acrophobic. It only makes sense that you're scared of heights, anyway. Alice was too. Zoë has it bad—she's acro _and_ hydro phobic. And Mariah's not so good around water, either."

"Zeus is going to blast me out of the sky?" I yelped.

"Shh!" she snapped. "No! Because he knows you need to get to Montreal! Now stop being a baby!" She sat back in a huff. That was fine with me. I squeezed my eyes shut, praying time would fast-forward and I would wake up in Montreal. But of course _that_ would never happen.

* * *

**Personally I think this chapter feels mor Percy & Annabeth than wat I usually write (sorry about that). Im pretty satisfied with this chapter, & I had fun w/ the Alice/Triton encounter. Tell me what you think!**

**~ Alice ~**


	21. Road to Montreal

**Here's ur apology chap...**

* * *

**21/**

**Lily's POV**

"…and that's the lava wall," I finished at last. "I guess that's it."

The newbie was still staring him around him in wonder, mouth gaping like a fish. "Where's…where's my cabin?" the kid said finally (I already forgot his name).

"Won't know till your parent claims you," I said in boredom. "Could be any one of them."

"But…where will I sleep, then?" He seemed confused.

I pointed. "Cabin Eleven. Hermes. Connor and Travis will take care of you. Just don't leave your stuff where they can steal it. And keep them away from all forms of shaving cream."

"Okay." The kid ran off. I sighed. I hated being guide. It was the worst chore.

"Hey, Lily!" I turned to see Eddie Carlyle flying/running on air toward me with his flying shoes.

"What?" I said, a little annoyed.

"Here," he panted, holding out a scroll. "From the bigshots up at the Big House."

I took it from him. "This your chore?" I said, smiling.

"Yeah," he said. "Not the best one in the book."

I smiled more. "Oh, yeah? Try playing guide to a bunch of newbies," I said.

"Are you kidding?" He grinned. "I love seeing their faces when they find out we're not human!"

I laughed. "Thanks, Eddie," I said. He waved at me, and ran/flew off. I rolled open the scroll. It was written in Greek, but I could read that fine.

_Lily: Bad news. She's getting worse. Hallucinating, calling names. Peter's, parents', yours. Get to the infirmary now. –Miranda_

I crushed the scroll in my hand. That damn bronze dragon was tearing up the entire camp. I shot a glare toward Cabin Nine, where serious smoke was pouring out the smokestacks. The windows lit up with sparks every few seconds. I scowled at it, wishing someone were standing outside it so I could yell at them. Jake Mason, or Elijah Andrews, maybe. But Miranda calls, so…

I stuffed my fingers in my mouth and whistled shrilly. A pegasus landed in front of me, spraying dust on my jeans. I mounted quickly and flew off to the Big House as fast as possible.

Miranda came running out the door before I even landed. "Lily!" she called. She was haggard and wane. That made me a little worried. Her eyes had dark circles under them. Her usually perfect blonde hair was greasy and lumpy, pulled into a hurried ponytail. Her clothes stank of medicines I didn't want to think about.

"I got your message," was all I could think to say, even though I knew I was stating the obvious. "How are they?"

Miranda looked flustered. "You'd better come inside."

The inside of the infirmary hadn't changed. It still smelled like hospital, holding lots of empty white beds, with jars full of both ancient and modern remedies lining the shelves. Four of those beds were filled.

"I thought he was awake," I said, nodding at one of them.

Miranda looked warily at Peter Montgomery. "I put him in a drug-induced coma," she murmured. "It won't last long." She looked away. "I didn't want him awake when…"

I nodded. "Good. You're right. How's Hannah, then?"

Miranda moved to the bed across from Peter's. "She's stable. Better. I didn't bother to put her under." Her voice was bitter.

"Who's that?" I didn't recognize the person with their head wrapped in thick bandages.

Miranda was quiet for a moment. "Madyson Grace. She was attacked yesterday."

I looked at her. "And Anne?"

She went silent. "Not good," was all I heard her say.

"How long?" I said quietly.

She shook her head. "Not long."

I looked at Anne. Her skin was grayish and shiny. Her hair was matted in sweat. Her breathing was shallow. She kept twitching, like she was having a freaky nightmare. I felt guilty just looking at her. Honestly, she looked like a zombie.

"I'm going to murder the Hephaestus cabin," I muttered.

"It's not their fault," Miranda said.

"The hell it's not," I snapped. "They're the ones who woke up that damn dragon."

"Lily!" she said sharply. "That was Beckendorf, remember? Cabin Nine did nothing wrong."

Anne's eyes flashed open suddenly—clouded and blank. Her hand lashed out and seized mine. I held it tightly with both of my own. "Anne," I said. "Don't you dare die on us. Dying will not be permitted."

She didn't smile, like I'd hoped. She clutched my hand desperately, swallowing weakly. The monitor measuring her heart rate beeped feebly. "Right the wrong," she rasped. "Find it. Save them. Lead us." The monitor beeped faster. Her eyes rolled up into her head. Her back arched clear off the bed. The beeping went faster and faster… She gasped for air one last time. The beeping went flat-line. And her hand went slack.

Miranda looked away, wiping a tear from her cheek. I stared blankly at Anne's face. There was a moment of grief-filled silence before Miranda broke it.

"Time of—" she had to take a breath "—time of death: five fifty-seven, July 21, 2010." I turned away. I couldn't look. Miranda stepped forward and slowly pulled the sheet over Anne's head. I let only one tear escape.

"Goodbye, Anne."

**Percy's POV**

Annabeth had to rip my hands off the armrests to get me off the plane, then slap Tony to wake him up. Neither of us were happy, but what could we do about it? She was Annabeth.

"Now, where is the key?" Annabeth said finally.

"Didn't I already tell you?" I said.

She frowned at me. "No. I kept trying to ask you, but you wouldn't open your eyes."

"Shut up," I grumbled. They looked at me expectantly—or, at least, Annabeth did. Tony was too busy shoving food down his throat. "It's at a place called Beaver Lake, up on Mount Royal," I explained.

Annabeth sighed. "Let me guess: it's at the bottom of the lake."

I nodded. "Yeah."

She closed her eyes. "Gods, why?"

"'Cause my sister hid it down there."

Her eyes snapped open. "She did what?"

I told her all about my dream. Even Tony stopped shoveling food to listen for a few seconds. Annabeth didn't seem too happy. "She stabbed Triton? Are you sure?"

I nodded. "Definitely. Then she shot him."

Annabeth frowned. "That doesn't sound like her. This key must be pretty important."

"Guess so," I said. "So, how do we get to Beaver Lake?"

She pointed. "We take the ski lift."

**A Few Minutes Later….**

"Did I mention that I HATE HEIGHTS?" I yelled over the wind.

"Yes, you did!" Annabeth screamed. "So shut up about it!"

"Both you shut your freakin' traps!" Tony shouted. "Annie, you are such a NATURE! I can't believe you talked us into this!"

"I'm a WHAT?" she yelled.

I clung onto the rails. "Gods, are we going to DIE?"

"If we do, at least we'll be in Elysium!" Tony shouted. "This is such a deep canyon!"

The ski lift kept plummeting. I squeezed my eyes shut. Annabeth had gotten the controls to work, the lift to move, but in the middle of the trip the cords broke—and now we were falling to our doom.

"Zeus, save us!" I shouted. "You owe me for saving your butt!"

For a few seconds, I felt hope. That Zeus, no matter how much he hated me, would actually rescue us. But still the air whooshed past us, blowing our hair around our heads, forcing our stomachs into our throats.

Then I heard something: a distant whinny. "Did you hear that?" I shouted.

"Hear what?" Tony yelled.

There it was again. "That!" A white streak flashed past the lift. Another whinny.

"Holy Zeus!" Annabeth screamed. "It's him!"

"Who?" I shouted.

Her answer was lost in the wind. She started dragging herself toward the window.

"Annie!" Tony screamed. "What in the hell are you doing?"

She didn't answer. She had one leg out the window and was already standing on the outside, her blonde hair whipping around her face. Then she jumped.

"Annabeth!" I screamed.

"No use!" Tony shouted. "She's gone!"

But there it was—the same whinnying. That white streak went by the lift again, but this time it slowed long enough for me to see it. It was a flying horse. Snowy white, with a shiny golden bridle, a huge gold quiver over its neck, and a definitely _not_ dead Annabeth on its back.

"Percy!" she screamed. "Tony! Come on!"

Tony and I crawled over to the window as fast as possible. Somehow we kept falling, though it felt impossible. As soon as he reached the window, Tony jumped out, landing by sheer luck next to Annabeth on the horse's back. I got out the window. My feet barely fit on the outside rim. I could see the ground swirling up toward us. There was no way I would jump. I would just fall and become a pile of Percy.

The horse flew as close to the lift as possible. Annabeth reached for my hand. Our fingers were inches apart. Then my foot slipped. And I was free-falling to my death.

I heard my name shouted. I felt like I was staring my death in the face (which I was, but not the point). I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping that when I ended up as a puddle on Mount Royal, it wouldn't hurt too much. I hoped I would make it into Elysium, at the very least.

Suddenly something hard smashed into me from behind—something with blonde hair. "Annabeth?" I shouted.

She didn't answer me. She had both arms wrapped around my chest and was squeezing me so tight I couldn't breathe—not that I could breathe much before that anyway. I thought I heard her yell something to me, but I didn't—couldn't—hear her.

"What?" I yelled. The ground was really close now. I slammed my eyes shut, thinking when I hit the floor, at least Annabeth wouldn't be as dead as I was going to be.

"Percy!" she shouted. "Open your damn eyes!"

I did, even though I wasn't sure why I should. The white horse appeared out of nowhere below us—

"OW!" we both screamed on landing.

"Sorry!" Tony yelled, yanking on the horse's bridle. "This thing isn't the easiest horse to control!"

"You can't control Pegasus!" Annabeth shouted. "He only listens to Zeus!"

Tony ignored her. "Percy, you're a son of Poseidon! Go talk horse!" he yelled to me.

I closed my eyes. _Pegasus?_ I thought.

_WHAT?_

I reeled. _Sorry, sorry! Could you, um, land please?_

_Get this stupid half-blood away from my bridle and maybe we could talk!_

"Tony!" I yelled. "Stop tugging on his bridle! He doesn't like it!" He stopped. _Better?_ I asked.

_Yes._ The horse calmed.

_Did Zeus send you?_ I wondered.

_Of course. It isn't like anyone like _you_ three could tell me what to do. My master seems to believe he owes you._

_He does,_ I insisted. _Or, er, will. Once we're finished._

The horse changed the subject. _Where do I land?_

_At the top,_ I said. _Out of sight of mortals, please._

He didn't answer. Instead he whooshed us down to the mountain smoothly.

There were four thuds as its hooves hit the dirt. Tony fell right off its back, pulling me with him. Annabeth dismounted gracefully. "Thank you, Pegasus," she said. She fed him something from her pocket. He snorted in her face, took a few running steps, and launched off the mountain, his giant wings blowing cold air in our faces.

"Well that worked," Annabeth remarked.

"You think?" I said. "Now what?"

Annabeth looked at her watch. "Oh my gods! We have twenty minutes till sunset!"

"You gotta be shitting me!" Tony groaned. "We have twenty minutes to find this stupid thing?"

"It's not stupid," Annabeth insisted. "Now hurry up. We have to get to Beaver Lake." She seized Tony's hand and yanked him onto his feet.

"Wait up!" I yelled. The three of us ran as fast as we could toward the lake. Mortals all around us were pushing babies in strollers, painting the lake, making out, or just talking. I think I even saw one guy get down on one knee in front of a girl, but I didn't stop to stare. I kept running.

Annabeth skidded to a stop so fast Tony smashed into her and I smashed into Tony. "OW!" we both yelled.

"Shut up and run!" she shouted. "It's them!"

We ran. "Who?" I said.

"Look!"

I turned halfway to look. Gods, not them! Tony looked too. "You gotta be f***ing with me!" he yelled.

"We're not!" Annabeth said. "Just keep going!"

But I couldn't keep running. We needed that key. And _they_ weren't gonna be the ones to find it first. I turned around and ran in the opposite direction, uncapping Riptide as fast as possible.

"Percy!" Annabeth screamed. "What are you doing? You can't beat them!"

I didn't answer. I ran head-on into the thirteen Order kids. I blocked the first girl's jab, stabbed her in the stomach (it bounced off her armor), and kicked her in the chest. I slashed the next guy's leg, knocked somebody else over, and kept running.

I caught sight of Annabeth next to me, kicking some guy in the groin. Ouch. I focused on my fight. I punched a boy in the face and whirled around, raising Riptide just in time to block _her_ sword.

Anastasia's lips lifted in a cold smile. "Perseus," she said. "How lovely to see you again."

"Likewise," I replied.

"You're not getting that key before us," she said, getting right to business.

"I'm guessing you don't know where it is yet," I said, grinning while she scowled. "So I'm just going to go get it now."

"Not so fast," she snapped. She forced me back with a kick to my chest and knocked Riptide far away from me. She held her sword toward my throat. "You're going to die before you can do that."

A plan started to form in my mind. We were standing on the bank of the lake now. I took a defensive stance, like I was going to fight her with my fists. She smiled. She swung. I pretended to dodge, and fell into the lake.

I heard her cursing, even after my ears were submerged. I took a breather. The water felt awesome on my skin. I was calmer instantly, until—

"JOHN!" Anastasia screamed, her voice muffled but the words clear. "CATCH HIM!"

There was a flurry of white bubbles as someone else jumped into the lake; a surfer guy with blonde hair and a tan. He looked at me fearlessly. I waited for him to need air. Then I noticed he was breathing.

"Son of Glaucus," he explained, looking amused at my expression. "Minor sea god."

"You're not getting that key first," I said.

"Oh yeah?"

We both scrambled for the bottom of the lake. He tackled me to the mud, pressing my face into the wet silt. I thrashed like crazy, finally elbowing him in the face. We started wrestling underwater, which might sound cool, but trust me, I've never been more weirded out in my life.

I felt Riptide return to my pocket. I grabbed it and stabbed wildly at him. I kicked away as he screamed his head off, my sword going clean through his shoulder. I punched him in the face, hopefully knocking him out for now.

My hand hurt. It was bleeding—John had a hard nose—but the water was already working on healing it. I glared at it as I felt the bones right themselves. Something shiny ten feet away caught my eye; I swam over to it quickly.

I recognized it immediately as Alice's silver knife. Tied around the hilt was a long silver chain; a small gold ring was strung on it, along with a big bronze key. Yes! I dropped the chain around my neck, shoved Alice's knife in my pocket (hoping it wouldn't stab me), and kicked for the banks.

Someone grabbed my arms and pulled me out as soon as my head broke the surface. I just lay there, panting, thinking it was Annabeth. But…

A cold blade was pressed against my throat suddenly. I opened my eyes. It was Anastasia leaning over me, the only thing marring her looks being a long cut on her cheek. She smiled at me.

For a few seconds she reminded me of Caterina Lopez, who I hadn't seen since I stabbed her in the stomach with a flagpole. I realized Anastasia had the same intoxicating smell—kind of like honey, but still hard to identify—and the same breathtaking beauty.

"Thank you for the key," Anastasia said, even though she didn't take it. "I'll see you in the Underworld one day, Perseus. Until then I'll give you something to remember me by." Then she kissed me. My first thought: _What the hell?_ I didn't move away; I knew that would just make her angry. So I waited. It felt wrong somehow—and not just because I knew as soon as it was over she would kill me, but because I knew she wasn't…right.

Her mouth left mine, and she was smiling down at me again. Then she raised her sword a few inches from my neck. "Goodbye, Perseus."

There was a loud crunch. Anastasia froze for a second, her eyes crossing over her nose. Then she dropped onto my chest. Annabeth was standing behind her, her knife hilt stained with Anastasia's blood. Annabeth's lip curled. She shoved Anastasia off me with the tip of her shoe. "Bitch," she growled. "Percy, are you okay?"

"Yeah," I panted. I grabbed Annabeth's outstretched hand and let her pull me to my feet. I wiped my mouth.

"Do you have it?" she asked. Her voice was rough.

"Yeah," I said again. The key felt heavy against my chest. I pulled out the chain to show her.

"What is that?" she pointed at the ring.

"I don't know," I shrugged. "It was on the necklace when I found it. Where's Tony?" Annabeth was studying the key so hard I could almost see the gears turning. She didn't answer me.

I looked around. "Tony?"

"Over here!"

I heard the clashing of blades. I turned to see Tony fighting off one of the girls, who had nothing but a kitchen knife in her hand. I ran over and tackled her, giving her a small cut on the arm. Since she didn't look like the fighting type, I didn't want to hurt her.

Something slammed into me from my right, throwing me off the girl and grinding my face into the floor. I jumped to my feet, slicing the first kid I saw.

"Leave her alone!" the kid yelled. Wind started to whip around us. It blew both our hair around.

"I don't want to fight you!" I shouted. He didn't hear me. The wind was starting to hurt now. The kid's feet left the ground—he was floating.

"Son of Aeolus, king of the winds!" the kid yelled. "I'll kill you!" I could barely hear him. Finally I capped my sword and threw my pen as hard as I could; it nailed him in the eye.

"Tony, come on!" I said. I dragged him away from the girl and back to Annabeth.

"Percy," she said. Something was wrong.

"What?" I said, alarmed.

"The box won't open. The key will only work once we're in the Underworld."

**

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**

**Ooh, so. Why did Anastasia kiss Percy? Who were those two kids at the end? (wink wink) Will the trio make it to the Underworld in one piece? Is Underworld spelled with a capital U? Tune in next time to find out! (And review to tell me what you think :] )**

**~ Alice ~**


	22. The Underworld

**Hey! You should feel lucky; my impulsive-impatientness kicked in again. I got so bored I just decided to give you guys a new chappy. Happy, right? Of course you are. So, look down.**

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**22/**

**Percy's POV**

"Gods, please tell me you're kidding," Tony whined. "I hate the Underworld."

"You've never been there," Annabeth reminded him.

"And I'd very much like to keep it that way."

She rolled her eyes.

I blinked. And I wasn't there anymore. I was standing at a roaring waterfall, on a tiny bit of dry land. It was cold. The water kept spraying me in the face. Then the waterfall started to split, right down the middle.

"I've got the water! Open the rocks!" I jumped and turned to see Alice standing next to me, holding her hands out. She wrinkled her nose as she held apart the waterfall.

What sounded like flute music started playing. I looked around and saw a satyr on my other side, playing reed pipes like crazy. The rocks behind the waterfall cracked. The satyr played faster. The rocks groaned and whined, but finally split enough for a person to squeeze through.

"Go!" Alice shouted. A boy I recognized as Peter Montgomery, a blonde girl, and the satyr (still playing his pipes) ran through the cracks.

I blinked again, and I was standing back at Beaver Lake, with Annabeth and Tony staring at me funny. Annabeth looked interested, Tony holding his nose in pain. "Did you see that?" I asked, stunned.

"See what?" Annabeth asked. "You blinked, then you started swaying like you were going to faint."

"I know what to do," I said. I described my vision to her.

Her eyebrows scrunched together. "You must have seen another of Alice's memories," she concluded finally. "She was on her way to see Hades then."

"She got in by going through a waterfall?" Tony remarked.

"No," Annabeth said. "She used the Door of Orpheus. It's here, in Canada."

"Niagara Falls," I said.

Annabeth looked at me. "Exactly," she said. "Let's go. We have to get to the Underworld as fast as possible."

"How?" I said. "We have no car, we spent all our money on a plane, and we're half dead with the need to sleep."

"Like this." She pulled a drachma from her pocket—the money of the gods—and threw it into the street. _"Stop, Chariot of Damnation!"_ she shouted in Greek. The coin sank into the asphalt. A thick column of smoke rose from where the coin was, twisting and shaping itself until finally it was….a taxi.

Annabeth opened the door. The three of us got inside. Three old women sat in the front, screaming at each other in screechy voices. Everything about them was gray. Their skin, their hair, their skin. I wrinkled my nose as they argued.

"Give me the eye!"

"It's _my_ turn, Pemphredo! Give it!"

"I don't have it!"

"Who has the tooth? Give me the tooth! I want to bite the girl's coin!"

"You bit it last time, Enyo!"

"Hey!" Tony shouted finally. The women fell silent.

"Take us to Niagara Falls," Annabeth said.

One of them clucked her tongue. "Sorry, girlie, we're too far out of our territory. Get out."

"I'll give you extra coin on arrival," Annabeth pressed. "Please, get us there quickly."

"Very well," they said in unison. "Hold on to something."

They continued their screeching as they started to drive. The world accelerated until it was a blur; the hags were going impressively fast—even faster than Annabeth when she was worried or out of time. My body was forced up against the seat and my cheeks were flapping against my ears.

"So, boy," one of them said. "You are Perseus, are you not? Going to destroy Hecate, eh?"

"Yes," I said.

"Don't open the music box," she said. "Bad—"

One of them smacked her in the head. "Stop, stop! Too much information! Remember what happened last time!"

"Sorry, sorry!" the first one shrieked. They returned to their arguing before I could ask what they were talking about.

"Deino, you have the eye, don't you? Give it to me!"

"No!" Deino wailed. "You had your turn, Enyo!"

"But I'M THE ONE DRIVING!" Enyo grabbed at Deino's face desperately while trying to hold onto the wheel.

"STOP, STOP, YOU CRAZY HAG!" the other one, Pemphredo (who really had the eye), screamed. "YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO TURN LEFT!"

Enyo shrieked and turned the wheel hard; I smashed into Annabeth as we did a full 360-degree turn into oncoming traffic. Tony's face was white. Annabeth seemed calmer, but nervous. I clutched the chain that was the seatbelt, lurching every time Enyo slammed on the brakes or sped up hard enough to rip my face off.

"Do they always fight like this?" I said to Annabeth.

She nodded. "The Gray Sisters have been arguing for eternity." She gasped a little when Enyo went faster.

"No, no, no!" Deino wailed. "You took a wrong turn, Enyo!"

"No, you cow!" Pemphredo shrieked. "YOU MISSED IT! GO BACK, GO BACK! YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO TAKE A RIGHT BACK THERE!"

Enyo screamed. The taxi whirled around so fast I felt sick. Then she hit the brakes. I flew forward and landed in Deino's lap, jostling her so hard she hit Pemphredo in the face. Something slimy and hard beaned me in the forehead.

I caught it instinctively. I reeled, feeling nauseous as soon as I realized what it was. It was the eye, a small slimy green ball that stared at me creepily. The taxi kept going faster and faster.

"Where's the eye, where's the eye?" Pemphredo bellowed. Her clawed hand grabbed my hair. "Boy! You have the eye?"

"He'll give it back if you tell us about the box!" Annabeth said suddenly. "Tell us: what about the music box?"

They begged and wailed and screamed at us, but finally Enyo shrieked, "It will unleash bad things! More to come! One problem in exchange for another!"

That was enough for me. I threw the eye in Enyo's lap; the old lady snatched it up, pushed it into her eye socket, and blinked. "Whoa!" She slammed on the brakes again. The tires screeched.

"Get out, get out!" Deino wailed.

We scrambled out the door, Annabeth's well-thrown drachma nailing Enyo in the temple and popping her eye out. The taxi sank into the ground with the echoes of their screams.

Tony was green. Annabeth was shaken. I was just plain grossed out. "Is everybody okay?" I panted.

Tony promptly threw up in a rose bush. "No," Annabeth answered. "But at least we're here." She pointed.

Niagara Falls was roaring not twenty feet away from us, the churning, rumbling water obviously rough enough to kill a person. But…there were no people. The area was completely deserted.

Annabeth's gray eyes flicked around suspiciously. "Something's not right."

"What are you talking about?" Tony said. "This is a free pass! Come on! Percy, split that water!"

He went for the falls. "No!" Annabeth grabbed him. "No, something is wrong—"

"So… We meet again."

The three of us froze at the sound of the voice. We turned around very slowly. Standing not three feet away from us, the same as when we last met, was _her_.

"No," Annabeth whispered.

"It can't be," Tony muttered.

"Caterina," I said.

* * *

She smiled beautifully. She wore a Greek-style black chiton that reached her feet and gold bands around her arms. A gold-and-black-diamond necklace hung in the hollow of her throat. Her hair was done in an old Greek hairstyle at the top of her head.

"Annabeth. It has been too long." Even her voice was beautiful. But still way too evil. "Do you still have that scarf?" Tony and I had to grab Annabeth's arms to keep her from jumping on Caterina.

The demon's lips pouted a little. Her blue eyes settled on Tony. "And Phäethon, how is that girl of yours?" Tony froze. His grip slipped on Annabeth's arm, and suddenly I had to hold both of them.

Caterina smiled evilly at Tony's reaction. She finally turned to me. "Perseus. I haven't seen _you_ since that foolish spawn of Ares sent me back to Tartarus. Too bad I couldn't stay long enough to give you your present."

"Hey, Caterina," I snapped with fake cheeriness, trying to keep myself under control. "How's your stomach? Any flagpole left?"

Her smile soured. "A pity I'm here on business," she sighed. "Oh well. Playtime over." She spread her arms. A column of flame encased her completely. Heat slapped me in the face. Seconds later, when she came back into view, she was the real Caterina—the empousa.

I prepared to let Annabeth go so she could kick Caterina's demon ass. But Tony got there first. He pounced on Caterina without his sword, tackling her into the water.

"Tony!" Annabeth and me shouted together.

"Go!" he yelled, choking Caterina with both hands. "I've got her!"

Annabeth opened her mouth to protest, but I grabbed her hand and dragged her along. "He'll be fine! Move!"

We sprinted for the falls. I focused on the roaring water as we ran, trying to force it apart. I concentrated so hard my brain started to hurt. But the falls split. _Farther_, I insisted. _Farther_. By the time we got to the edge of the banks, the opening in the water was almost big enough.

We leaped to the patch of land closest to the water. Annabeth opened the music box. That strange haunting tune floated out of the box with a tinkling sound that could somehow be heard above the roaring of Niagara Falls. A large crack appeared in the rocks behind the water.

They groaned and cracked, but finally caved, creating a crack big enough for a person to go through. Annabeth slammed the music box closed. We both dashed inside the already-closing opening. The rocks slammed shut behind us with a rumbling noise, raining dirt on our heads.

"Gods," Annabeth's voice panted. "Percy, where are you?"

"Over here," I said. I found her hand in the dark and held it. I uncapped Riptide with one hand so I could see her in the faint glow.

"You have rocks in your hair," she told me as we started walking. She brushed them off for me with her free hand. The other one was still holding mine.

"Thanks," I said. I held my sword higher so I could see. There wasn't much to look at.

"Do you know who Orpheus was?" Annabeth said after a while.

"Um, no?" I said.

"You're such a seaweed brain," she laughed.

"Shut up," I grumbled. "I was only at camp for like three days, remember?"

"Fine, fine," she said. We went quiet again. "He's the one who made this passageway," she spoke after a long minute of silence.

"Who?"

"Orpheus. Son of Calliope. It was his wedding day. His new wife, Eurydice, was dancing in a field. She stepped on a snake and died. Orpheus couldn't live without her. So he sang his way through the rocks, all the way down to Hades. He even made Cerberus cry."

"His demigod power was his voice?" I said.

"Yes," she said. "He cut a deal with Hades; he would allow Eurydice to follow Orpheus back to Thrace. As long as he didn't look back at her, they would make it. But Orpheus got suspicious. He couldn't be sure that Hades wasn't just tricking him. So he looked."

"Ouch," I said, wrinkling my nose. I felt deja vú, like she'd told me that story before. Probably did.

"Yeah," she agreed. "He started making music so depressing even the rocks cried. He wouldn't sing for the nymphs anymore, so they got mad and ripped him apart."

"That's a nice thought," I remarked.

"Sorry," she said. "Is it just me, or does this tunnel go on forever?"

"It's just you." I pointed with Riptide.

**Tony's POV**

Caterina managed to throw me onto the banks. She pounced on me, snarling, her face inches from mine. "I should've killed you when I had the chance," she growled.

"I wish you had," I snapped. "At least Jasie would be alive in my place."

Caterina laughed a low, evil cackle. "I do not normally feed on girls, but she was such a _delicious_ exception."

Rage exploded through my brain. I suddenly saw red. I punched Caterina in the face and rolled over so I was sitting on her chest. She hissed at me, her crimson eyes glowing. "I will kill you, son of Dionysus!" she promised.

"Like hell you will," I growled. I stabbed her in the chest as hard as I could. She screamed, one long, painful wail. Her hair burned higher. Her eyes glowed brighter. Then she collapsed into monster ashes.

I grabbed at the yellow dust angrily; it just slipped through my fingers. Caterina's banishment wasn't enough. Jasie was stuck in the Underworld forever, while Caterina would only spend a few weeks—days at minimum—in Tartarus before returning to kill some other poor kid.

It's not like I could do anything. Caterina's ashes blew away in the breeze, leaving me drowning alone in rage and grief. I roared wordlessly. My revenge meant nothing. Nothing at all.

I looked up at the Falls where Percy and Annabeth had disappeared. The water would be impossible to get through. And the crack was closed anyway. I sighed. I would have to miss an epic battle between my best friend and a world-dominating goddess. Yipee.

I wandered over to the nearest tree and leaned on it, closing my eyes. I sighed. Guess I could take a nap while I waited. I wished one more time that I could go kick butt with Percy and Annabeth.

The ground rumbled under me. By the time I opened my eyes, I was falling through open air. My scream was lost in the wind.

I found myself spitting mud out my mouth. It tasted gross, but considering all the "food" my brothers and sisters fed me, it was nothing I'd never tasted before. After I wiped the dirt from my eyes, I saw I was lying in a wheat field. The long wheat swayed in a nonexistent breeze. People were standing in random places all over the field, staring blankly into space.

I got up. The kid nearest to me looked at me suddenly. He looked about ten years old. He blinked, and the blank looked vanished—somewhat. "You are alive." His voice was barely a whisper.

"Yeah, I'm alive," I said. "Aren't you?"

He frowned. "No."

I realized where I was. "Holy shit, I'm in the Underworld!"

"Yes. My name is Andrew. Son of Athena." His voice was expressionless. "Who are you?"

"Tony. Son of Dionysus," I said absently. Dead Kid Andrew had the same blonde hair and gray eyes as… "Hey, I know your sister!"

Andrew looked a little confused. "I do not have any sisters."

"Sure you do!" I said. "Her name's Annabeth."

"Andrew!" The kid turned stiffly at the call. Two people came out of the shadows—a girl and a boy.

The boy scowled at us. "You can't associate with the living! We talked about this!" Andrew didn't seem upset.

"Zach, you aren't in charge. You can't order us around."

I froze. I knew that voice. It shouldn't have been here. It should've been in the Isles of the Blest, at the least. It should've been at the back of a goddess's throat. I turned to stare. "Jasie?"

Her dark eyes, cold and worn, flicked to me. They widened. "Tony."

She looked exactly the same as the last time I saw her. Wavy brown hair, brown eyes, freckles, dark clothes. She looked beautiful.

Zach glared at her with washed-out blue eyes. "Jasie."

We ignored him. I stepped toward her, ready to give her a hug, but she shrank away immediately. "Tony, you're alive," she whispered. "You can't touch me. I'm dead. I'm a shade."

"I killed Caterina again today," I told her. "It wasn't enough. I miss you."

"I miss you too," she murmured. "They wanted to wipe my memories in the Lethe, but I wouldn't let them. I would make me forget you."

Zach growled. "Jasie, what are you doing?"

Jasie rounded on him suddenly, a million emotions rising in her face—but mostly anger. "Shut _up_, Zach! Gods, I am so sick of you! We're DEAD! I got killed my first day as a half-blood! You got mauled by Talos! Andrew, he got pushed off a cliff by his cousin! We're in the _Underworld_, for Gods' sake! You can't tell me you don't miss living! You can't lie to my face and say you don't miss Payton! Because he—" she pointed at me "—he is the only thing I've thought of since I died! And you of all people should know that shades can't think! So saying that is a pretty big damn thing! Now shut up and piss off!"

Zach blinked at her, like he couldn't believe she said that to him. Then he scowled and vanished into the dark.

Andrew sighed. "That was not wise, Jasie."

She didn't answer. "You got pushed off a cliff?" I said to Andrew.

He sighed again. "Yes. My cousin Chelsea and I fought too close to the edge." He glared at me a little. "What do you want, anyway? Your presence upsets order."

"I need to find my friends," I said. "Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase."

"I assume they are living," he said.

I nodded. "They're trying to break into Hecate's lair or whatever."

Jasie practically hissed at the name. Even Andrew drew back a little, his pale, blank face flickering with sudden interest. "Fools," he remarked. "Hecate is not to be trifled with."

Jasie shook her head. "Tony, Andrew's right. You can't piss off Hecate and get away with it. She's completely chaotic."

"I think you mean evil," I said.

"No, I mean chaotic," she said. "if I've learned anything from being dead, it's that there's no evil or good—only chaos and order."

I blinked at her. "But…you're forgetting the part where she's evil."

Jasie's pale lips lifted in a small smile. "She's not. She's cruel, yes, and greedy for power. But not evil."

"I will take you to her," Andrew volunteered.

Jasie and I both looked at him in surprise. "Why can't Jasie take me?" I protested.

Andrew shook his head. "You do not understand. Your being here is causing mayhem you cannot see. Jasie is feeling more alive than she has ever felt in her time here. You cannot stay with her anymore. If you wish to get to Hecate, I will be the one to take you."

Jasie was starting to look exactly like Andrew—blank. "He's right," she said. "Tony, you have to leave."

I didn't want to. I would rather have stayed there, in the Asphodel Fields, with Jasie. I never wanted to leave. Ever. I stared at her. Some emotion entered her face, like she knew what I was thinking. Her hand twitched a little like she wanted to touch me.

Finally she pulled something over her head. She grasped it in her hand for a moment, then held it out to me, wincing like it physically hurt her to give it up. "Take it," she urged. "It's yours anyway." I grabbed it. My hand brushed hers for a second, but it didn't feel real. It was almost like touching a silk sheet or something—soft, but thin and cold as death.

"Jasie, it is time," Andrew prompted.

She didn't look happy about it, but she nodded. "Goodbye," she said to me. "I'll wait for you." She reached out a white hand and tried to touch my face, but her hand felt like a cold feather. Her eyes closed as she melted into the shadows.

"I…love you, Tony," I heard her whisper.

I could've stood there forever, watching the place she'd stood, but Andrew pulled me back to Earth—or, er, Underworld. "Focus," he said blandly. "Come."

I followed the dead kid through the Fields, past hundreds more dead people staring into space thinking who knows what. After ten minutes we finally reached the edge of the wheat. Andrew stopped. "I cannot go any further," he told me. "According to whispers, Hecate's lair lies deep below the Underworld, deeper than even Hades's palace. To reach it you must go through Melinoe's cave. But beware: Melinoe is the goddess of ghosts. She and her _daimones_ will not hesitate to kill you if you give them the chance."

"Thanks, Andrew," I said. "Take care of Jasie for me. And kick that kid Zach's ass."

He nodded slowly, but I didn't think he'd keep his promise. I started slowly out of the Asphodel Fields and into strange territory. _I'm coming, guys, _I thought.

**The Order POV**

Tess clenched her teeth as she stitched up her own arm with one hand. That damn kid; what was his name? Perseus? She'd heard Anastasia talking about him. Son of Poseidon. He was strong. He even beat Anastasia herself.

She supposed it wasn't surprising that she'd gotten a slash to her arm. She'd been lucky she wasn't dead. She hadn't wanted to fight, but apparently the Order needed all thirteen members—even if she was pregnant and useless. Not that they knew that.

Leo's arm slid around her waist. "You okay?"

"Yes," she said immediately. She lowered her voice. "What about _her?_ What does she want?"

"Water," he said. "She says she'll help us escape if we give her water."

"She's the daughter of Poseidon," Tess whispered. "If we give her water, she'll _escape_."

"But she's _good_, remember?" he argued. "She's supposed to be Guardian. She can take us where we're safe."

"I hope you're right," she mumbled.

"Did you do what she said?"

Tess flinched a little, but she shook her head. "How can I ask my mother that? Anastasia will kill us!"

"You have to," Leo insisted. "I'll get her the water, you ask. By tomorrow we'll be home free. I promise."

Tess hoped he was right. "Fine," she agreed finally. "But if this doesn't work, _I'll_ kill you."

"That's my girl." He kissed her cheek and ran off.

She sighed, glad for a moment of peace and silence. She lay back on her cot and closed her eyes. It was time.

* * *

Leo crept into the throne room. There was no one there but the prisoner, strung from the ceiling. She seemed to be muttering something, something Leo couldn't understand. Whatever it was, the words were filled with something that made him shudder... Control, maybe? _As if,_ Leo thought sarcastically. _She's chained to the ceiling._

"So, come to a decision, boy?" the voice was raspy and weak.

"Shh," he said. "Look, I got what you wanted."

"Is your girlfriend doing what I said?"

"Yes," he said after a minute. "Where do you want it?" The chain rattled as she held out her hand in response. He poured the water all over it. The hand clenched into a fist. The skin glowed suddenly with a silver aura.

"I'll be out in an hour."

"An hour? Why so long?"

The hand opened and closed. "Because the girl's mother will need time to grant our request. By the time she wakes up, I'll be out and we can go. Now get out of here. Before they notice your absence."

He nodded obediently. He wasn't so sure about her plan, but he had no choice.

* * *

**Ahem. The noble Tony? A dead girlfriend? What else is he hiding? Oh, and: Will Alice escape on her own? Does that seem too Mary-Sue? What's Tess going to ask Hygeia? Am I ever going to come up with better end-of-chapter questions? Come back next time to find out!**

**~ Alice ~**

**P.S. Thanks, real Jasie, if you're reading this, for letting me use your name (even though I sort of used it before I asked you). And no, your boyfriend will not die to be with you :]**


	23. The End

**Well, here we are. Almost at the end. It's been fun, but don't worry. I'm never going to stop writing...unless I run out of ideas. But then again, my beta could help me with that, so never mind. Just read.**

**

* * *

23/**

**Percy's POV**

Annabeth didn't let go of my hand. "Thank the gods," she said. "Look, we came out past Cerberus." She pointed.

The huge dog was standing at the wrought-iron gates, growling at the hundreds of spirits pouring through the walls. There were two lines of souls; one headed to a large stone Greek pavilion, the other went straight past it into a big field of yellow grass and black trees.

Annabeth nudged my shoulder. "That way." She pointed at a cave in the distance.

"What's that?" I said as we walked toward it.

"Melinoe's cave." She sounded more than a little scared.

"Who's Melinoe?"

"Goddess of ghosts," she said. "Not a good immortal to mess with."

"Anything I should be worried about?"

She nodded. "Yeah. The Keres live in her cave. She controls them."

"Great. Just great." Her hand squeezed mine when we neared the cave entrance. It was darker than…well, _dark_ in there. I thought I saw the glowing of one red eye, but I'm pretty sure that was my imagination. At least, I hoped it was.

"The entrance to Hecate's lair should be somewhere down there," Annabeth pointed.

"It just looks like…more dark," I remarked, peering inside. We stood at the outskirts of the rock, afraid to go in, afraid to stay out.

Annabeth pulled her knife. "Come on. Let's get this over with." Her face was set with determination. I knew better than to mess with her in this stage. We headed inside.

"Percy, put away your sword," she whispered after a minute.

I looked at her (or where I thought she was standing) like she was crazy. "No! What if Carasols—"

"Keres."

"—_whatever_ come at me? How am I supposed to not die without my sword?"

"Just put it away! The light will wake them up!"

"Oh." I capped Riptide, but kept it in hand, just in case.

We continued. Down, down, down into the earth. I couldn't see a thing without the glow of Riptide. The only thing I could hear was Annabeth's breathing.

"Percy, where are you?"

"Here." I gave her my hand again (once I found her).

She held it tightly. "I'm not sure, but I think I see a doorway somewhere over—AHHHHH!" Her hand was ripped out of mine as she fell straight down.

"Annabeth!" I yelled. Big mistake.

Screeching filled the air. A ring of a dozen daimones materialized around me.

They were part humanoid female, part bat. Their faces were pug-nosed and furry, with fangs and bulging eyes. Matted gray fur and piecemeal armor covered their bodies. They had shriveled arms with claws for hands, leathery wings that sprouted from their backs, and stubby bowed legs. They would've looked hilarious except for the murderous glow in their eyes.

I uncapped Riptide.

**Annabeth's POV**

I hit the ground. Hard. I groaned and sat up, rubbing my face. Gods, that hurt. I felt around the dirt for my knife. The tip stabbed me in the thumb. I cursed silently as I picked it up, sucking on my bleeding thumb.

"Percy?" I called. "Are you there?" No answer. I estimated I fell around ten feet. Lucky I wasn't too hurt. Except for my thumb.

I held my knife higher. Guess I had no choice but to follow the tunnel. The mud squished loudly under my shoes. For a second, I wished I had Percy's sword; even if it wasn't my style, at least I would've been able to see in the dark.

I observed that, even though I could barely see where I was stepping, there were scratches on the wall. Like someone had carved this tunnel with a knife and nothing else. I guess Hecate had one of her Order members do it. Maybe one of the lower-ranking kids. I felt bad for them.

They were taught to hate the gods, to fight us. Hecate was all chaos. She upset the order of things. I stopped in the my tracks when I realized that Percy and I being separated was no accidental tripping of a trap. They wanted us to stay apart.

I wanted to smack myself in the forehead. Gods, Annabeth, duh! Another realization: my screaming probably woke the Keres…which meant Percy was fighting them now. Which meant the Order wanted that to happen. Which meant some demons were going to jump out at me at any second.

I tensed. I focused entirely on where I was going—though I couldn't actually _see_ where I was going. I gripped my knife tightly. I took each step lightly. That was lucky, because if I hadn't, I would've crushed something silver under my foot.

I stooped to pick it up. It was a perfect circle of silver, shaped like a tiara. It glowed in my fingers, shifting to a small crescent pin. I slipped it in my pocket. I continued down the passage.

Thirty steps away from where I found the crown, I almost tripped over a cable. I bent down to examine it. It was simple, black. It ran from one side of the tunnel to the other. Right through the dirt walls. I frowned. A trap?

I knew it was probably a bad idea, but I yanked it. At first nothing happened. Then the wall to my left slid aside, revealing a metal hatch like they have in submarines. I stood up slowly. I put my hand on the wheel. I looked around. Finally I opened the door.

My first thought was how empty it was. Not a soul in sight. But it was clear people lived there. Thirteen bunks were shoved up against the far wall, like sleeping was the last important thing on the to-do list. A small corner that was supposed to be a kitchen sat on the other side of the room. A piece of parchment twice the size of me was tacked out on the floor; a battle map of Camp Half-Blood.

Small tables dotted the room, arranged to seem like each one belonged to one person. One had a blinking Mac. Another had what looked like a Sharpie-drawn chessboard.

I knew it was probably stupid, but I sat across from the Mac. Password protected. I hit a few keys, triggering a chain reaction program which overrode the system. I was in. I silently thanked my techy brother Alec for torturing me with that one never-ending computer "lesson". I turned my attention back to the laptop.

Before I could do anything else, one box popped up.

_Files unsaved: Do you wish to reopen?_

_Yes_ / _No_

I clicked Yes. I blinked as a dozen pop-ups invaded the screen. I clicked on the first one. I was shocked to se a picture of my sister Anne, followed by a full bio. I clicked the next box. A profile on Peter Montgomery. Click. Mariah Evans. Click. Zoë Perish. Click. Percy. Click. Me.

I closed my eyes, overwhelmed by a sudden splitting headache. The Order had everything on us. Which meant they knew exactly how to beat us. Which meant they were just toying with us.

A thud and a grunt came from the doorway, like someone tripped on their way in. My first instinct was: Order member. So I threw my knife. When I looked up I found it embedded in the shoulder of a sandy-haired, gray-eyed kid.

A girl screamed. "Leo!"

I went over. "Don't worry," I said. I glanced at her. She had curly brown hair and worried brown eyes, and looked about nine months pregnant.

I pulled my knife out of the kid's shoulder. He moaned. I ignored that. I wiped the blade clean, sheathed it, then ripped the bottom of his shirt off to tie it around his shoulder as best as I could. "What was that for?" the girl shrieked.

"Shh!" I snapped. "He's not dead. You're lucky. I thought he was Order."

"We _are_ Order," the kid gasped.

The girl kicked him lightly in the side. "Leo!"

I paused in tying his bandage. "You two? Order?"

The girl looked a little ashamed. "Yes."

"Not by choice," the boy groaned. "I'm Leo, son of Aeolus. This is Tess, daughter of Hygeia."

"Did they kick you out or something?" I asked, eyeing Tess's bulging stomach.

She shifted nervously. She shook her head. "There is no 'kicking out'. You either stay in, or they get tired of you and kill you."

"Or you get them angry," Leo added, sitting up stiffly. "Like we did."

"You got pregnant," I said.

Tess nodded. "I was only a few weeks, but she said I should ask my mother to accelerate the pregnancy so if I died, at least the baby would have a chance to live."

I raised an eyebrow. "She?"

Leo jerked his chin toward the door. "The prisoner in the throne room. What was her name? Alicia?"

"Alice," I said immediately.

They both looked at me. "You know her?" Leo asked.

"Um, yeah, she's my friend's sister," I said. I started toward the other door.

Leo caught my leg. "She's gone already."

I eyed them suspiciously. They told me everything. They'd been planning their escape for two months now. When Leo got Tess pregnant, Alice in the other room somehow found out, used that to have Leo give her water in exchange for an escape plan. "She must have used that water to saw herself out of her chains," I realized.

Tess nodded. "She said to find three kids: Annabeth Chase, Phäethon Staphili, and Percy Jackson. She promised they would help us."

I blinked. "I'm Annabeth Chase. How would she know that?"

Leo shook his head. "No idea."

I sighed. Now I had to get these two out of the Underworld pronto—especially pregnant Tess. No way I was going to get a chance to find Percy. "Okay, do you two know anything about these tunnels?"

"No."

"Yes."

Leo and me both looked at Tess in surprise. "You do?" Leo said.

She nodded. "I'm a background person. You know that. None of the Order care if I'm there or not. They talk like I'm not. The other day I heard Anastasia talking to Ryan about putting a safe-button under her desk. If you press it, the maze will change and create a straight tunnel to the Door of Orpheus. Then you just go out the Falls and you're in Canada."

I thought about it. "Well, we—"

"Annabeth? Annie, is that you?"

Only one person would call me Annie. Only one person would be dumb enough to start yelling my name in the underground headquarters of a secret anti-god organization out for our blood. Tess had backed up against the wall. Leo tensed. "Who is that?"

"Tony?" I whisper-called.

He stumbled through the doorway. "Annie, it's _sick_ down here! Did you see that dead troll-thing in the hallway?"

I frowned. "No."

"Too bad. I'm the one that killed it." He grinned. "What's going on?"

"I'm sorry, how can you act so calm?" Tess asked. "You're in the Underworld."

"No use being pessimistical, even when you're almost dead," he shrugged. "Gotta keep your spirits up."

"Pessimistical isn't a word," I reminded him.

"No need to get all 'Annabeth' on me," he said. "So, how're we getting out?"

I explained it to him, a little annoyed. "We shouldn't move until we find Percy, though," I said.

"Yeah," he agreed. "Can't leave without my homie."

I rolled my eyes. Tess gasped suddenly and keeled over, clutching her stomach. Leo immediately went to hold her up. Tony practically giggled; I glared at him. "If I'm right, Percy'll stumble in here just like I did. He's bound to find it, right?" I directed my question at Tess, who nodded. I sighed. "I just hope that bitch Anastasia doesn't find us first."

"It's nature," Tony corrected. "And I hope so too." We sank into silence. Leo helped Tess into a chair. I went to look around the room some more. Tony tried to play why-are-you-hitting-yourself? alone.

"Tony," I said from the other side of the room.

He looked up from his hand. "What?"

"What the hell's a nature?"

**Percy's POV**

I hissed through my teeth. My arm was searing with pain that could've passed for the Furies' torture. I'd managed to kill all the Keres, but one of them scratched me somehow before I could stab it in its pug-nosed face. Now it hurt like living hell. I tied it with a strip of my shirt messily. I chewed a bit of ambrosia from my pocket, even though it was a little messed up and linty. I felt better.

After a while I found a submarine-thing-door in the wall. I pushed it open without thinking twice. There were two other doors. I heard noises coming from the first, so I went through the second, figuring the noises were Order.

It was only when I stepped in a puddle that I realized I was missing a shoe. Dammit, those were my favorite Reeboks. I cursed silently. Then I froze. Puddle? There wasn't supposed to be water under here, right?

I was three seconds from figuring it out when someone tackled me from behind like a linebacker at the Superbowl. Next thing I knew I had a rusty chain wrapped twice around my neck, getting tighter by the second, and a hundred-pound someone on my back. I struggled and flailed and kicked, but the chain squeezed tighter and tighter. I couldn't breathe. I could feel my face bloating slowly. I started seeing purple (which wasn't much of a change from pitch-black, but still).

Suddenly the weight was ripped off my back—someone tackling the first someone. The chain loosened. I gasped for air. My vision went back to normal. Once I finished coughing my lungs out, I realized _Anastasia_ saved me.

She was holding my attacker by the hair, the chain wrapped around their throat. The person was hissing a thousand curses in Greek, French, Spanish, and a few other languages I didn't recognize—all while choking. Impressive. Then the hair moved away from the person's face and—

"Alice?"

Anastasia flipped her hair out of her eyes, spitting blood on the floor. Her black eyes glittered at me as she pulled the chain tighter. A black streak by my foot told me Xander, her hellish dog, was here too. He snapped at Alice's leg, but she just kicked him away.

"Stop!" I threw Riptide like a javelin. It bounced off Anastasia's armored chest harmlessly, but it distracted her enough for Alice to rip the chain from around her neck and grab Anastasia by the throat, pinning her to the wall with one hand. I had to smirk. She was trying to get her own lungs back while holding Anastasia two feet off the ground. With Celestial bronze shackles connected by that rusty chain on her wrists too. It was hard not to be a little impressed.

But I guess she was too weak—or Anastasia too strong (or both)—because the daughter of Hecate kicked my sister to the floor, fell-feet first, and lunged at me out of nowhere. I kicked her in the stomach instinctively. Alice's foot slammed into the side of her head. She passed out instantly.

All I could hear was Alice saying something in Greek under her breath. Finally I picked up Xander and threw him against the wall; with a squeal and a thud, he was out. I groaned. I had dog-scratches all over me.

"Ow," I complained.

Alice glanced at me out of the corner of her eye. "Sorry. Here." She threw water in my face. I didn't know where she got it, but I was grateful. The cuts healed. She held out her hands expectantly. I sliced off the shackles. She opened her mouth, but—

A flash blinded my vision. "Well, well, well." A voice replaced that flash. "You almost escaped, little Alice."

"Hecate," Alice hissed.

The three-headed goddess was sitting comfortably on her black throne, legs crossed. A small smile played on her human face. A dog three times the size of Xander yawned at her feet. "I did not think you would make it this far, Perseus," she said to me in boredom. "I expected my daughter to kill you." She sighed. "Nothing goes according to plan, however." She stood up. A black spear slid into her hands. "I suppose if you want something done, you must do it yourself." She eyed us with a suspicious glint in her human eyes.

"Percy!" Alice snapped. I knew what she meant instantly. I threw her knife. She caught it as Hecate advanced on her. I uncapped Riptide.

Everything happened in split seconds. Hecate jabbed. Alice blocked. I sliced. Hecate dodged. She kicked me in the face. Alice punched her horse head in the muzzle. I sliced her dog head's ear off. Her human head screamed. A red ball of fire hit Alice in the stomach, slamming her into the wall.

Then it was just Hecate and me.

**Annabeth's POV**

I heard a crash in the next room. I tensed. "What was that?" Tony shrugged. "Hit the button. Get out of here now." I barely waited for them to answer before running for the door.

When I got there I saw complete chaos. Anastasia, a dark unconscious lump (not that that was so sad). Alice, slumped against the wall with blood trickling down her forehead. And—

"Percy!" I yelled. Hecate herself was holding him three feet off the ground with one hand. He was clutching at her white hand, choking. His face was going from red to purple. He was gasping for air she wouldn't let through, kicking and flailing. That kicking was slowing, though. He was giving up. His eyes started to close.

No! I pulled the bronze key from my pocket and the music box from my bag. "Hecate!" I shouted.

"NO!" she shrieked.

I jammed the key in the box and yanked open the lid. A blinding flash burst from inside, forcing my eyes shut. I heard a combination of screaming, barking, and whinnying. The box heated and shook violently in my hands. It felt like something was getting sucked into the box. It hurt to hold it.

The screaming stopped. The box stopped shaking. The lid banged shut. Everyone stayed frozen with their eyes closed for a full ten seconds before footsteps rang out through the doorway and eleven more kids rushed into the room.

They looked for a second at all of us, then immediately drew their weapons and ran at us with a wild battle cry. I dragged a recovering Percy to his feet, pulling my knife.

Five seconds later the three of us were fighting to the death. I was up against three kids at once. Alice had three as well, Percy had four. Of course. He always pushed himself too hard.

I focused on my fight. I recognized the three kids from the Mac's files in the other room. Ryan Marshall, son of Harpocrates, Sofia Foss, daughter of Hyperion, and Carissa Johnson, daughter of Mnemosyne. Each of their fighting styles was completely different.

Carissa was extremely skilled. Her strikes were precise, perfectly timed to outmatch mine. Sofia was a fighting machine. Her swipes were wild, out for nothing but blood. She reminded me of a child of Ares. Ryan was quiet, but focused. He slipped in between each of Carissa and Sofia's moves, jabbing at me silently from time to time. I saw how they were such a good organization. They worked together perfectly. But they yelled at each other constantly.

"No, Carissa, you stupid f***ing bitch, stop! It was my turn!"

"WHAT, RYAN? NO, I DO _NOT_ KNOW WHO TOUCHED YOUR LAPTOP!"

"Do you ever stop arguing?" I asked.

"No," Sofia and Carissa said together. Ryan tugged on Sofia's free sleeve. "Ryan, stop!" she yelled.

I wanted to roll my eyes, but I was too busy blocking Ryan's attempt to chop my face in half.

**Percy's POV**

I was exhausted. I could barely keep Karapet, Julius, Megan, and Michael from taking my head off one slice at a time. We didn't speak, just sliced, swiped, and stabbed.

A grunt came from the other side of the room. One of the boys was on his knees, blood spreading over his chest. Hanna screamed. "John!"

I took advantage of the opening; I sliced Julius across the stomach, gave Megan a fresh gash on her cheek, stabbed Michael in the shoulder, and hilt-slammed Karapet between the eyes.

For a second I felt that adrenaline-like surge of victory, but—I yelled as I felt a warm slash of pain across my back. I turned, swiping blindly, missing Anastasia's face by an inch.

She only smiled. She raised her sword, and I braced myself for a fight; but Alice leaped in the way. She blocked Anastasia's stab, twisted that arm sharply, and elbow-slammed her in the face so hard she passed out on impact.

That left Alice spitting a string of Greek curses as she nursed her elbow and me wondering about what just happened. I heard Annabeth still fighting some of those kids, but by the time I turned around to help, she didn't need it. The last kid was lying on the floor with a huge knot on his forehead.

"We have to get out of here," Alice said with a pained look on her face. "Now."

Annabeth nodded as she came over. "I had Tony hit the safe-button under Anastasia's desk. There should be one tunnel leading to the surface now."

"The surface surface or underworld surface?" I asked.

"Underworld."

"Yay."

"Move," Alice ordered.

**Tony's POV**

"We have to keep moving," I urged. But Tess refused to budge. I guess after getting chased down by that hellhound she didn't want to open her eyes. Or let go of that tree. The Leo kid tried to get her to get up, but he told me Tess had never been outside more than once, so she didn't know anything about Greek monsters.

But apparently a roar from the Minotaur can really get a pregnant girl going, 'cause as soon as she heard it, Tess was five feet ahead of us, climbing faster and faster. "Stop going so fast!" I called. "Don't kill your baby!"

"Shut up!" they both snapped.

"Touchy, touchy," I muttered, climbing after them. We were two hills from camp now. But of course, the Minotaur just had to decide he was hungry and followed us, creating earthquakes with his ginormous steps. So we were running as fast as possible.

"Tony, can't you kill that thing?" Leo yelled as we crossed the highway.

"No!" I shouted back, diving out of the way of a GMC. "That's Percy's job, not mine! Just keep going! We're almost there!" I heard the Minotaur roaring again and again, coming so close I could feel its gross bull breath on my head. I yelled and sped up, so pretty soon I passed Leo and Tess, leaving them and the Minotaur in the dust.

I didn't look back. It felt good, running that fast. Of course, it just had to be away from the Minotaur, trying to make sure a pregnant girl and a wimpy dude get to camp. Except—

"AH!"

I turned just in time to see Leo fall, getting crushed under the Minotaur's hooves in slow motion. The monster didn't even stop. But Tess did. "LEO!" she screamed.

"He's gone!" I shouted back. "We have to keep moving! The border's right there!" But she was crying so hard I don't think she heard me. She was still screaming Leo's name when the Minotaur got to her. Its hand closed around her throat. Everything slowed down for a second. She vanished in a flash of white light, and the Minotaur's fist was empty. He grunted in confusion.

"TESS!" I yelled. She was gone. I threw up my hands in defeat—and literally caught a baby in my arms. "Gods, you have to be f***ing kidding me!" I shouted. They weren't, apparently. So I pulled my sword.

"You wanna go, Beef Boy?" I challenged. "Let's go, then!" He grunted at me. Then charged. I charged too. At the last second I threw the baby in the air, hit the floor baseball-style, and slid through its legs. I stabbed up as I came out the other side, jumping up and catching the kid right before it hit the ground. The Minotaur glowed so bright I had to shield both my eyes and the kid's. Then it exploded, raining yellow monster dust all over me.

I spat. Minotaur tasted even grosser than the time my brother Tyler stuck dead frog intestines in my spaghetti. Then again, I did tell Payton from the Apollo cabin that Tyler was crushing on her (which wasn't true), so I guess I got even that time.

The baby screaming interrupted my thoughts of classic revenge. I looked down at it in annoyance. "Shut up," I told it. It shut up, looking at me with wide, transparent eyes. Weird.

I held it out at arms' length, wrinkling my nose. It was wrapped in a blanket that changed kept changing colors. I stared at it.

"What are you supposed to be?"

**Alice's POV**

"Finally!" Percy threw out his hands. "We're out!" He breathed in deeply.

"It's not over yet," Annabeth said. "How do we get back?"

"The Gray Sisters?" I suggested.

"No!" Annabeth and Percy yelled at the same time.

I smiled weakly. "I see you've already met them."

Annabeth snapped her fingers. "Got it. Alice, can't you call Castor?"

I brightened, hiding my wince at the pain of doing so. I whistled. I hoped my brother didn't hear the sound falter.

Suddenly my vision was obscured with a huge mound of gray fur. Castor was so happy. He could've jumped like that for hours. But I finally got him to calm down. My brother and Annabeth climbed on his back. Percy had to pull me after them. He didn't seem suspicious at my lack of strength. He must have thought I was simply tired. How wrong he was. It was difficult to keep from collapsing. The effort of staying conscious was getting harder now, but bearable. The pain in my side wasn't. My tunic felt wet.

Castor couldn't focus. I know because we ended up in the middle of the highway before Half-Blood Hill. We had to dive out of the way of the honking minivan speeding toward us. The diving didn't help my pain. But I said nothing.

"Thank the gods," Annabeth sighed. "We're finally home."

I pressed my hand to my stomach. "Yes," I murmured. I felt exhausted. My hand was wet now. I didn't want to look down. I was cold.

"Come on," Percy said. "I can't wait to see their faces." They started climbing slowly up Half-Blood Hill. I watched as he took Annabeth's hand tentatively. She let him have it. I couldn't help but smile, though I wasn't supposed to approve. My brother was falling for her. Even I could see the signs.

Percy sped up when he saw the pine tree at the crest of the hill. He and Annabeth both walked faster, obviously eager to get across the line. I felt so lightheaded, I started to lag behind. I couldn't go any faster. Yet I was so close to home. So close.

My left side seared with pain. I stumbled. My hand shot out to catch myself on the tree's rough bark, but I ended up sinking to the ground, leaning against its massive trunk. My vision blurred. The world wavered in a sluggish way. I could feel my heart slowing down.

I glanced over at Percy and Annabeth, laughing, unaware that I was no longer walking with them. They were lucky, to be so ignorant. They had full lives ahead of them.

I looked down groggily at my right hand. It was stained darkly with a red that could only be blood. My blood. I pressed it back to my side, hoping to stop the wound. It kept weeping red, all over my tunic. Black crept into the corners of my vision.

Suddenly I didn't feel pain anymore. I sighed in relief. Anastasia's knife wound didn't hurt. The blood didn't feel so hot. I was sleepy. My eyes were halfway closed. I was freezing cold. A warm breeze fanned across my face. I glanced up under my eyelids. I saw a face.

I smiled sleepily. "Hello, George."

"I have your diary, Alice!" His voice echoed in my ears. I hadn't heard it in so long, I could feel tears getting ready to spill. I was so tired. I was so cold. But I managed to wipe them away. I didn't care that I left a streak of warm red on my cheek.

My dead brother grinned at me. "Come get it if you want it!" His laugh echoed too, the breeze carrying it around me tantalizingly.

I laughed weakly. I reached out to touch the face, but my red-tipped fingers simply slipped through air. "Don't get cocky," I mumbled. "I'm coming to get you." I laughed again. The world was closing now. The dark was doing its job. There was only a pinpoint of color left.

"I'm coming…" I repeated. My eyes closed.

I smiled.

**

* * *

**

**Okay. Down to business. Is Alice dead? (FYI, in case you didn't know, she got stabbed by Anastasia. In the stomach.) Will Percy even notice? Am I making this all up? Come back next time, to see chapter 24: A New Problem.**

**~ Alice ~**


	24. A New Problem

**Yay! TGIF! Whoo! Friday! I get to go see Harry Potter tomorrow! I mean, Percy's obviously better, and Logan Lerman's wayy cuter than Daniel Radcliff, but still. Tom Felton is sexier than Jake Abel, huh? Hope I don't get flames for that...**

* * *

**24/**

**Percy's POV**

Someone was shaking my shoulder. "Percy, wake up."

I sat up sharply. "What? What?"

Summer Todd withdrew her hand quickly. "Nothing. It's midnight. Why aren't you in Cabin Three?"

"No reason," I said dully.

She sat next to me on the branch, sighing quietly. Silence settled over us. I looked up. The moon glittered behind the pine leaves. I stared hard. For a few seconds I thought I saw a woman dressed in silver standing in the crescent shape, but she was gone almost as soon as she appeared. I sighed through my nose.

"The funeral was three hours ago," Summer said. "And you're already depressed."

I looked at her, a little annoyed. "Of course I am. But you saw Lily Bloom. She's practically drowning herself in her own tears. I'm nothing compared to her."

"She'll get over it," Summer said.

The way her voice sounded, calm, like she didn't care that one of our own was dead, it made me a little pissed. "Look, I didn't know her that well, but even I'm depressed about her being dead," I said. "Why aren't…I mean, I guessed you were too."

"It's better I don't feel," she said. "Emotions compromise us. If I don't have any, I can do my job. And my job is to be Oracle."

I'd witnessed her 'becoming Oracle' thingy. It happened right after the funeral. So Summer was now fully psychic. And fully un-capable of answering a question without saying it like a creepy prophecy. She already scared one kid to death when he asked her where the bathroom was. I don't think he'll ever use a toilet again.

"Summer!" Her name floated over to us in a whisper-yell.

She sighed. "That's Simon." She looked at me. "I'm sorry, Percy. Goodnight." She stood up and jumped to the ground, then walked away without a scratch, muttering something about not being a child.

I sighed. I climbed down. I wanted to go to my cabin and try to sleep, but for some reason, I found myself walking for the Big House instead. I decided not to try to figure it out. Some god was probably messing with me. Amphitrite, maybe? She hated me, I think. Did she have access to my head?

I found Annabeth asleep in a chair, a book on architecture sitting open in her lap. I sat next to her. She was trained to sense the slightest movements, so I guess I shouldn't have been surprised when she woke up and said, "What?" in annoyance, but she still startled me.

"Gah!" I yelped.

"Shh," she snapped. "You'll wake the whole camp up." She rubbed her eyes. "What do you want?"

"Nothing," I said. "Just checking on you."

"I don't need 'checking on'," she grumbled.

I didn't say anything for a few seconds. "Yes you do," I said finally.

She changed the subject. "What time is it?"

"Around midnight," I answered. "Why aren't you asleep?"

"I _was_."

I frowned. "I mean, why aren't you in your cabin?"

"Couldn't sleep. Malcolm snores like an elephant."

"That…" I stopped in the middle of my sentence. I decided not to go down the 'that didn't make any sense' road with Annabeth. I changed course. "But you could sleep in here?"

She punched me. "Shut up."

I laughed. I winced and rubbed my shoulder when she wasn't looking. Or, _thought_ she wasn't looking. She laughed at me. For a second her face was happy, bringing out her…pretty.

"Ha. I make you happy," I blurted. I mentally slapped myself. Why did I say that? Smooth, Percy.

Her smile, already weak, faded a little. She looked troubled. "You make me _laugh_," she corrected.

"Difference?"

"Just because you're laughing doesn't mean you're happy." That last part was weighed down by a touch of sadness.

"See, you do need checking up on," I said triumphantly. She didn't smile. "Sorry," I mumbled after a while.

"It's not your fault," she said. "I…"

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Annabeth, I'm your best friend. Spit it out."

"I just…can't get over the fact that she's dead. That she won't come back." Her voice quivered. This was so un-Annabeth, I didn't know what to do.

I leaned back. "I don't know." She looked at me funny. "What?" I said. "I can't pretend I know how you feel."

"That's because _your_ sister isn't dead," she said, tearing up again. "_Mine_ is."

"I know that," I said. "Here," I put a package in her lap. She eyed me warily, but she opened it. She looked at it for a second.

"What is it?"

I grinned. "Guess."

She looked from me to it with a mixture of disgust and interest. Finally her Athena-inherited curiosity got the better of her. "Fine. A brick."

"It's supposed to be a cookie," I said, frowning.

"It's like a rock."

I flushed. "Shut up! I never said I could bake, okay?"

She laughed. "You should've bought one from the Demeter cabin. _They_ can cook."

I scratched the back of my head. "So…are you going to eat it?"

She smiled a little. "Um…maybe."

"You said it was like a rock!" I protested.

"So? Doesn't mean I'm not going to eat it."

"If it's like a rock, then how can you eat it?"

"_I_ can eat it. I don't know about you. That's why I'm keeping it away from you. So you won't end up hurting yourself." She grinned.

"If _you_ think you can eat it, then _I _can definitely eat it. And I can do it better than you!"

"That doesn't make any sense."

"You can't pull that card when we're talking about food."

"Yes I can. It's a free card."

"No it's not."

"Yes it is."

"Not."

"Is."

"Not!"

"Is!"

"Gimme the damn cookie!"

"No!"

I lunged for the package. She scooted back, holding it out of my reach. Next thing I knew we were on the floor. Our faces were inches apart. We stared at each other in a trance. The cookie lay on the ground, forgotten.

Annabeth's eyes were really gray. And I know that's a stupid thing to say, but I'd never really looked at them up close before. They were like storm clouds, pretty, but intimidating too. Just like Annabeth.

**Alice's POV**

I was floating. All my pain was gone. I was standing in a colorless world, with only one thing in front of me. My eyes went over his face again and again. I smiled.

"George."

My brother didn't smile back. I realized he wasn't alone. He was standing with his hand on a girl's shoulder. My sister. She didn't smile either. She looked the same as when I last saw her four hundred years ago. Glossy brown hair, pink lips, porcelain skin. The face that brought her so many suitors. They both stared at me with the same expression: sad, remorseful, maybe.

"You can't come with us." Her words floated around me. I could almost see them. They echoed.

"It isn't your time yet." George's voice, the brotherly tones I hadn't heard in so long, made me want to cry.

"I'm dead," I protested.

They shook their heads in unison. "You're alive, little sister," George said. "We aren't."

"And even when you do die, we are in the Asphodel Fields. You will go to Elysium." She looked at me sadly. "You will not see us."

"Lord Hades is my uncle," I said. "I can ask him to see you."

"He will not allow it," George said. "He will force you to stay in Elysium."

"Mother always believed in you," my sister said. "She knew one day you would leave. She always said it was in your blood. Only when I died did I know what she meant. George is right. You are a hero. We are bystanders."

"It's alright to go back," George urged. "It's okay to want to live."

"But I want to go with you," I said, wiping my face of the tears.

"No, you don't," my sister said. "You lived without us for this long. You can go longer. Forget us. You have a life ahead of you."

"I've lived four lifetimes," I said.

"We know," George said. "Go back, little sister. We'll be waiting when the time comes."

"Go back," my sister repeated. "Live."

* * *

I woke to the sounds of "Gimme the damn cookie!" and "No!". I looked over. Percy and Annabeth were on the floor, their faces too close. I reached out blindly, grabbed the nearest object, and nailed Percy in the back of the head with a loud thunk.

"Ow!" They snapped awake. Percy turned to glare at me. "What?"

"No kissing," I said. "Get out. It isn't right to watch your sister sleep."

"Wait, how long were you awake?"

"Long enough. Go." I pointed at the door. They got up, arguing with each other quietly.

"Will you two please be quieter?" The patient next to me snapped. I looked over, ready to agree. The girl lying there had her head covered in bandages, with only one bright blue eye peeking out.

"Hi, Maddy," Annabeth said quietly. "Sorry. We'll go." She elbowed Percy in the ribs to get him to stop staring. He said a quick "Hi" and hurried out. Annabeth gave her an apologetic look before following him.

A dry sob came from Madyson's bed. I turned my face into my pillow. I let the tears fall, crying silently with her.

**A Few Hours Later…**

**Tony's POV**

I bounced the thing up and down. "Will you please stop crying?" I demanded. "It's like eight a.m. now, shouldn't you be sleeping?"

Diana bolted upright in her bed, her hair sticking in a million different directions. She glared at me. "Gods, Tony. I can't believe you're stuck with a baby."

Tyler peeked at me from under his blankets. "It'll be dead within a week," he remarked, then buried himself back under.

Alison rolled out of bed suddenly. "Shouldn't it be dead already? It would be so much quieter."

"Shut up," I snapped.

"What's its name?" Gus wanted to know, climbing back in the window.

I shrugged. "I don't know what it is." My siblings shrugged with me.

"Seriously, guys?"

The five of us looked up. "Hey, Penelope," Gus said.

"Penny," the rest of us greeted.

Penelope Miller was standing in the doorway, looking at all of us critically. She never liked being called Penny except by her friends. She frowned, then flipped her long hair over her shoulder. "You really don't know if it's a boy or a girl?"

I looked at her like she was crazy. "Well, I don't know about you, but I'm not looking under there," I said.

"Not it!" Tyler, Alison, and Diana yelled at the same time.

Penelope rolled her eyes. "Give it." She held out her hands.

I passed her the bundle. She lifted up a corner of the blanket, then wrinkled her nose. "Boy."

"Any ideas about what you're going to call him?" Diana said.

I opened my mouth. "Cadmus," Penelope said. "You should call him Cadmus."

Diana rolled her eyes. "Who was that?" she said in a bored voice.

"The founder of Thebes, the Seven Gated City," Penelope said. "And it's not like you four could come up with anything better."

It was quiet for a second. "Cadmus it is," I said brightly. "Cadmus St. Cloud."

Tyler snorted. "That's his last name? St. Cloud?" Diana laughed.

"It's a cool name," Gus said. "Kind of ironic though."

Penelope leaned against the doorframe, interested. "Why's that?"

"Well, wasn't his dad the son of Aeolus? King of the winds?"

Penelope looked a little impressed. "You know who Aeolus is?"

"No," me, Tyler, Alison, and Diana said.

"Not you. You four are idiots," she said, smiling.

"Are not!" we all argued.

"Yeah, I know who Aeolus is," Gus said. "I actually pay attention in Ancient Greek."

Diana sniffed. "You're an abomination to the Dionysus heritage."

"No child of the wine god likes school," Tyler agreed.

"No child of the wine god learns things," Alison added.

"But all children of the wine god can hold their liquor," I said. We all laughed.

"There's no drinking at camp," Penelope reminded us.

Diana fake-gasped. "Who said anything about drinking?"

I laughed. Cadmus screamed in agitation and waved his fat little fists, making me curse.

Penelope looked sympathetic. "Tony, if you want, I can help take care of Cadmus."

I blinked at her. "Seriously?"

"Yes," she said. "He needs a mother figure besides you."

I grinned. "Cool. But I'm his daddy figure."

"I'll take him four days a week," she said, ignoring my last sentence. "But you owe me."

"Sure, Penny," I grinned.

"Shut up."

**Alice's POV**

"I can walk, you know."

"I know."

"Then why are you trying to carry me?"

"Sorry." Percy took my arm from around his neck as we jumped the bottom step of our cabin. "Are you sure you're okay? Miranda said you were dead for three minutes."

I frowned at him. "Percy, I got stabbed. I died for a while. I'm not dead now." I ignored the soreness where Anastasia stabbed me.

"Okay, okay," he said. "You don't have to nag."

I ruffled his hair. "I don't nag."

"Do too," he said, sticking his tongue out at me.

"Do not," I retorted.

"…Do too."

I glared at him. "Don't you have somewhere to be? Classes have already started."

He shrugged it off nonchalantly. "Whatever. I can just tell Annabeth that I was helping my sister."

"Your sister doesn't need help," I said. "Go. Or else you'll get killed by whatever monster sniffs you."

He made a face. "_You_ don't have to go to Ancient Greek," he accused. "It's boring!"

"You _think_ it's boring," I corrected. "And don't let Annabeth hear you say that."

"Whatever. I'll get you back later," he promised. He ran off with a wave of his hand.

I was standing in the ring of cabins now, alone. I winced. I put a hand to my side. "Dammit," I muttered.

"Alice!" Someone was shouting my name.

I whirled in surprise. "What, Connor?" I said.

"The mortals!" he panted.

I frowned. "What about the mortals?"

"They _saw_ Peleus!" he practically yelled.

I blinked. _"What?"_

"Come on, I'll show you!"

I followed him all the way to the border. When we reached the pine tree, he pointed. "Look!"

Cars were stopping all along the highway. Mortals were getting out to stare, hiking up the hill slowly. One man's jaw practically reached the floor. He looked at me. "Hey, girl!" he called. "What is this place? Do you live here!"

"Connor, go blow the emergency horn," I commanded. "Tell everyone not to go near the border. Only Council members and senior demigods will be on patrol this week."

He looked terrified. "Okay." He ran off.

"Peleus!" I called. The dragon slithered up to me, waking up from his nap. He snorted at me, as if to say, _What now? _"You must patrol this side of the border," I said. "No mortals are to come near. Scare them away. But absolutely no eating any of them. And don't let Elizia come over here. Got it?" He nodded his massive head. "Good," I said. "I'll be back soon with more campers."

"Alice, what's going on?" Percy ran up to me just as I was hurrying back.

"We have a problem."

* * *

**Gasp! I had you guys fooled there, huh? Huh? Admit it, you thought I'd actually kill Alice. Muahahahaha! Anyway, can it be possible that the mortals can _see?_ What are Percy and Alice gonna do about it? Tune in next time to find out!**


	25. Back to Normal—Almost

**Hey guys. Since I'm so nice, and since yesterday was a special day *cough*birthday*cough*, I'm giving you the second-to-last chapter of The Lost Hero. I know, you're sad, but it's not over yet. Last chapter will be posted on Turkey Day.**

**You're welcome.**

* * *

**25/**

**Percy's POV**

I was lying on my bunk, reading (or _trying_ to read) a book Annabeth was making me suffer through when I heard shouts from outside. I propped myself up on one elbow to listen.

"Alice, come back here! I still have to finish with that knife wound!" Miranda Bowman's voice.

"I'm fine! Go away!" Alice.

"Hey, Shawn, grab her!"

"Wha? Okay—OW!" Shawn Spencer yelling in pain.

"I'm fine!" Alice shouted. "I need to take care of something!"

Miranda was getting irritated now. "What are you possibly going to take care of?" she yelled. "You've got a healing stab wound! Now get back here so I can fix it!"

"The key word in that sentence is 'healing'!" my sister shouted back. The door banged open. Alice rushed in and slammed it shut.

"What's going on now?" I asked, getting up from my bunk.

"Shh," she put a finger to her lips. "Miranda's trying to change my stitches for the third time today."

I fought to hold back a smile. "So you're hiding from her?"

"She's hunting me down. Shut up," she told me when I grinned. She shoved my dresser in front of the door, then walked off to her bunk.

The door banged against the dresser as somebody tried to open it. Alice's knife embedded itself in the doorframe. "Go away, Miranda!"

"Gods, it's Clio, from Cabin Nine!" the person behind the door yelled. "Elijah and Jake sent me with that thing you wanted!"

"Sorry." She got up and grabbed what looked like a PSP from Clio's hand. "Do you have the stylus?"

"No," Clio answered. "Sophie and Alec were still fiddling with it when I got this from them."

Alice groaned. "Fine. Is Miranda out there?"

"Um…yes. And she has a needle with her."

Alice muttered something in Greek. She said it too low for me to hear, but I was pretty sure it wasn't complimentary to children of Apollo. "Thanks, Clio," Alice said. She shut the door.

"Where are you going?" I asked as she crossed the room.

She had one leg out the window already. "The beach," she said, confused. "Where else?"

"Whatever," I sighed, opening my book again.

"You're never going to finish reading that," her voice reminded me from outside.

"I know that," I snapped. "Just go and get hunted, will you?" Her laugh just made me more irritated.

* * *

The ring of cabins was quiet as I rushed by, except for a few bangs from the Hephaestus cabin and some giggling from the Aphrodite cabin. Otherwise it was as quiet as a mouse. The only reason I wasn't crashed in my bunk was because it was my turn for patrol. I was assigned to the beaches with Alice. Ironic.

Summer Todd waved at me as I passed her, swinging her feet happily from the roof of the new cabin under construction. I didn't bother to remember which one it was supposed to be. I waved back.

Alice was sitting in the sand when I got to the beach. She was staring absently at the horizon. Her fingers drummed the sand. A little pool of water formed near her hand, the water pounding with the beat of her fingers.

"Hey, I'm back," I said as I sat down.

She shook herself from her trance. The corners of her mouth lifted up in a smirk. "How long could it possibly take for you to use the bathroom?"

"Shut up," I told her. "I made the mistake of taking food from Travis Stoll, okay?"

She laughed and bumped my shoulder. "Gods, Percy."

I grinned. "Did I miss anything?"

"No." We both fell silent after that.

I scrawled a happy face in the sand with the tip of Riptide. "What did you see?" I blurted.

She looked at me sharply with my own green eyes. "What do you mean?"

"I made a bet with Butch from the Iris cabin," I admitted. "He says you don't see anything when you die. Did you see anything?"

She turned away. "Nope. Not a thing." I knew she was lying. She was as bad a liar as I was. But I didn't say anything. Then she sighed. "George. I saw George."

"Who?"

"My brother."

I blinked. She had another brother? I wondered if he was a half-brother from Dad's side, or from her mom's side.

"He's dead now." Her voice was bitter. I could tell she was trying not to cry. "I saw my sister too. Isabel. She didn't look dead. Neither of them did."

"Sorry," I mumbled.

"It's fine," she said. But I knew it wasn't. "I haven't seen them for four hundred years, anyway." I could feel her hand clenching and unclenching the sand. Something wet touched my pinkie finger. I looked down.

And reeled. My sister's left hand was quickly turning transparent, clear, so I could see the sand underneath. It was turning to water. She didn't seem to notice as her fingers melted away into the sand.

"Um…Alice?"

"What?"

"Your hand."

She looked down. "Damn." She glared hard at it until it started changing back to flesh, sucking the loose water back into shape. She shook the hand absently. She saw my expression. "Percy, it's nothing."

"Your hand turned to water," I said slowly. "And it's nothing."

"While I was in the infirmary a few hours ago," she said, "I almost drained completely into the sink. Then I froze in my bed. I don't know what's happening. I can't control—"

"Hello, Perseus. Alice."

I whirled around. "Who're you?" was the first thing out of my mouth.

The girl smiled. "My name is Eliana. Daughter of Eris. I'm here to kill you." She was creepy and dark somehow, regardless of her brown hair and bright eyes.

Alice was on her feet suddenly. "Go to Tartarus," she snapped. Eliana smiled. Alice raised her hand to tap her bracelet, then pulled back when she realized it was dripping. "Styx," she cursed. Her hand was melting away _fast_. Soon she lost half her arm. Before I knew it my sister was draining into the sand.

Eliana smiled. She twirled a double-bladed ax in her hands suddenly. I uncapped Riptide. She knocked it out my hands in a flash. She raised the ax above her head—when an arrow sprouted from her chest. She looked down in shock. So did I. Eliana threw her head toward the sky, and dissolved into black smoke, curling away into the ground.

"She isn't dead."

A girl came out of the dark. She wore the Greek-style uniform of a Hunter, with a bow at her side, a quiver at her back, and a sword strapped to her side. "Perseus," she greeted.

"Eleanor," Alice said weakly.

* * *

The Hunters of Artemis were so overjoyed to see Alice, they were like a bunch of super-healthy, silver, immortal puppies, jumping up and down and practically squealing.

Alice (when she remember me) introduced me to most of them. They didn't seem to like even acknowledging me, but they tolerated my being there. Two of the girls, Marianne and Carmen, set up a silver tent right then and there on the beach. Rowena pulled a huge thermos out of nowhere, and pretty soon the Hunters were sitting in small groups up and down the beach, sipping the best hot chocolate I'd ever tasted.

The oldest-looking girl, Eleanor (the one who shot Eliana), was sitting alone with Alice when I came back with my hot chocolate. (Rowena wasn't too happy about giving it up; I practically begged before she gave it to me.)

"…didn't hear you escaped," Eleanor was saying. "We came back to Camp Half-Blood to help with the mortals. Artemis sends her regards."

"I wasn't aware you were looking for me," Alice replied. "I—"

"How'd you get out?" We all jumped in surprise as a pale, blue-eyed face appeared over Eleanor's shoulder.

Eleanor closed her eyes like she had a headache. Alice smiled. I had a feeling this happened a lot. "Bethany, is that really necessary?" Eleanor demanded.

The girl, Bethany, sat next to us. "What? Everyone's talking about it." She looked expectantly at my sister.

Alice hesitated. "I tried sawing through my chains with water."

I blinked. "Tried?" I repeated.

"What do you mean?" Bethany went on.

"Might as well tell us the whole story," I threw in. We looked at Alice eagerly. Even Eleanor leaned forward a little, looking interested.

Alice looked like she didn't want to, but she sighed. "I heard whispers about Hecate's plans from an inside source," she began.

"Wait, was it Tess and Leo?" I interrupted. All three girls glared at me.

"Boys," Eleanor snorted. Bethany nodded in agreement.

"Yes," Alice answered. "They weren't happy where they were. They switched to our side about a month back. They smuggled me information whenever they could. Around a week ago, they told me Hecate would try to steal a new demigod from a small town in Colorado. Coincidently, my Seeker mission was that exact place. I didn't tell my partner about Hecate being there." My sister hung her head a little, shamed. "I…wanted to be the hero again." Neither Eleanor nor Bethany looked surprised. I didn't say anything.

"Go on," Bethany prodded.

Alice nodded. "I told Peter and Derek I was going back to check on the child's home, to make sure no monsters came and tore it up. They believed me. I went off to find Hecate instead, hoping I could stop her. Instead I got myself captured, and spent four days underground."

"I can't say I'm surprised," Eleanor said after a moment. "Many children of the Big Three can't help becoming at least a little conceited." She and Bethany looked pointedly at me.

"What?" I demanded.

Alice managed a smile. "You're a boy," she reminded me.

"So?"

Eleanor sniffed. Bethany looked at me as if I were a dead rat she'd just seen in a dumpster. Alice shook her head and didn't say anything.

Finally Bethany nudged Eleanor with one elbow, who sighed in response. "We should be starting now," she said. "I'll have everyone moved into Cabin Eight, per usual." She turned her steely gaze on my sister. "I'm assuming you're—"

"Yes, yes," Alice interrupted quickly. "Go." Bethany gave her a strange look, but Eleanor wasn't fazed. She stood up and whistled. There was a flurry of movement as the Hunters rushed into action. Alice smiled wearily.

As soon as the Hunters moved into Cabin Eight, Alice called a Council meeting at the Big House. Lights flickered on in several cabins, and the camp came to life. Shrieks exploded from Cabin Ten. A loud thump from Cabin Twelve, like someone falling out of bed, followed by laughing and a baby screaming. Nothing from Cabin Fifteen. I chuckled as I watched a girl from Cabin Four walked inside, and two seconds later a kid flew backward out the door.

"Hey." I turned to see Annabeth standing next to me. "Are you going to the meeting or what?"

"Yeah," I replied. "On my way there. Wanna come with?"

"I have to go anyway," she reminded me. "But sure." Together we followed the small distant crowd of head counselors to the Big House.

We found semi-chaos when we walked into the basement.

Clovis from the Hypnos cabin was snoring on the Ping-Pong table, with Travis and Connor Stoll from Hermes carefully drawing on his face with a purple Sharpie, then yelling at each other for drawing the wrong kind of mustache and switching to scribbling on each other. Butch from the Iris cabin was attempting to ride a Tech Deck on a rainbow he'd created, but it bounced off the table and nailed Hayden Marsh in the back of the head, who up until then was changing her appearance to make Madyson Grace from Aphrodite laugh, but instead she was sitting in a dark corner with a black veil over her face.

With a nod from Alice, Connor stood up. "The Council is called to order at 1:47 a.m., July 26, 2010." Travis banged a gavel and grinned proudly. All eyes turned to Alice.

"What's this all about?" Joan demanded before anyone else could speak. Everyone chorused their "Yeah"s.

Alice hesitated. "I'm assuming all of you know about Hecate's army." There was a rustling sound as everyone nodded in unison. She went on, "There's more. She has somehow managed to create a demigod rank as well as the monster ones. The Order."

"What?" Joan yelled over everyone else talking. "How many?"

"Thirteen," Alice answered.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Katie Gardner cried. A lot of them murmured in agreement.

Alice shook her head. "They were the ones who guarded me in Hecate's lair. How was I supposed to tell you? And they only attacked camp today."

"They attacked?" Will Solace yelled. "When?"

"Tonight," she said. "Lucky for us the Hunters showed and—" There was one, unanimous (whatever that means; I've been hanging around Annabeth too long) groan.

"I hate it when they come!" Zoë Perish whined.

"You only hate them 'cause they can beat your ass at everything," Mariah sneered.

"Ugh, you bitch!" Zoë slapped Mariah.

"Bitch!" Mariah slapped Zoë.

"Enough!" Alice snapped. The girls froze. "We need to be ready for this. Until you go back to the mortal world, I want you all training." Joan looked like she agreed somewhat.

"But we only have a month until we have to go," Elizabeth Bentley protested.

"Then we'd better use it wisely," Annabeth said, speaking for the first time.

Alice smiled. "Annabeth is right. Now, off to your cabins. We have full days ahead."

"Finally!" Tony groaned. We all turned to look at him. He blinked at us.

"That was out loud, wasn't it?"


	26. Epilogue

**Happy Thanksgiving! Here's your holiday present! **

**

* * *

Percy's POV**

None of us were happy when the last day came around. The month had flown by way too fast, filled with days of Hermes kid pranks, training in the arena, Capture the Flag almost every day. I mean, even though all of us were dead beat all the time, it was awesome.

Of course, Annabeth would kill me if I said anything different. She and Tony surprised me with a big, misshapen cake and a balloon that spewed fireworks when it popped. Little Cadmus decided to eat some, but kept missing his own mouth. So he ended up looking like he was wearing a mask. Then Penelope ran over to stop him, saying he wasn't supposed to eat sugar, and Cadmus smeared it all over her face, making us all laugh so hard Tony spewed milk from his nose.

It was that evening that we had the biggest feast the nymphs had ever made. We were allowed to sit wherever we wanted. So naturally Annabeth, Tony, and baby Cadmus ran over to the Poseidon table with me.

Tony bounced Cadmus up on and down on his knee. "Okay, so guess what?"

"What?" I said, falling for it. Annabeth kneed me under the table.

"Chicken butt!" he grinned. "But seriously." His face went dead serious. "I don't want you guys to leave. I can't let my home boy and his kind of terrifying chick leave me alone!"

Annabeth only rolled her eyes. I bumped his shoulder. "Dude, just IM me whenever. My mom's cool with that."

"And you have Penelope," Annabeth added.

He smiled. I was a little surprise. Whenever my best friend smiled, it was a huge goofy grin, and always at his own joke or in a really funny situation. But this one was different. Softer. More serious. I guess he really did like Penelope. I glanced at her to see her expression, but she was asleep on the table.

"Ahem." We all turned to see Alice standing on the Artemis table.

"Time for the last speech," I heard Tony mutter. He grunted as Hayden kicked him again.

"Tonight is our last time together," Alice began. "Most of you will be returning to your other lives. Some of you will be staying with me. As you know, the mortals are still very confused about their glimpse of our world. We have managed to keep them at bay. As a precaution, you will be leaving at a scheduled time, depending on where you're heading. Cabin Six should have prepared a system for that.

"You should all be aware that monsters walk among the mortals. You can't risk any kind of suspicious approaches, teachers, mortals of any shape or size. Anyone could be one of them. If anything should happen—anything at all—return to Camp Half-Blood immediately." She paused, as if for dramatic effect. "So, be wary. Be cautious. Be prepared. Be safe."

And with that, dinner was over.

* * *

Standing on Half-Blood Hill, Annabeth and I looked at Camp Half-Blood sadly. Kids had already started to leave. Most were gone. Now it was time for us to leave. Annabeth was going home with her dad. I could tell she wasn't sure about that. I wasn't so sure about going home either. I missed my mom, sure, but her and Paul's house in New York would never really be my home. Not like Camp Half-Blood was.

"I can't believe I'm going back," Annabeth murmured.

"I know," I said. I took her hand. She let me have it. For me, going back meant dodging flying and possibly flaming bits of food. For her... "Write me, okay?" I prompted. "Just not anything that'll give my mom a heart attack."

She laughed. "Sure, Seaweed Brain." She looked past me. "Zoë, where are you going?"

I started. I hadn't even realized Zoë Perish was standing next to us. She fingered the strap of her messenger bag absently. "Home," she said finally. "For a while. I have some relatives in New Jersey. And some...unfinished business in Florida." Her face darkened. "Might run into Nico, though."

"Good luck," Annabeth said. I nodded in agreement. Zoë looked up, as if just realizing we were there. She murmured something like a thanks, then melted away.

"Show off," I muttered. Annabeth smiled briefly, squeezing my hand.

A honking noise from the highway drew our attention. I recognized a man as Frederick Chase sitting in the driver's seat of an SUV, watching us. Annabeth's hand slipped out of mine. She rested her hand on Thalia's tree, her gray eyes filled with memories I couldn't see. She hesitated, but she hugged me.

"Bye, Percy," she whispered in my ear.

I hugged back. "Bye." She kissed my cheek, then went down the hill to her dad, her blonde hair flying behind her as she went. Her dad looked at me. He gave me a short nod, as if to say, _Thank you_. I wasn't 100% sure what he was thanking me for, but I nodded back. I watched Annabeth climb in the backseat, expertly catching a flying rubber duck and throwing it back in. The car disappeared down the road too soon for comfort.

My hand raised to the spot she kissed me. I was alone. I already missed her.

I turned to Thalia's tree. "Bye," I repeated. I shouldered my backpack, then went down the hill too, to catch a bus back to New York.

I looked back only once.

* * *

**And so ends Percy Jackson and the Lost Hero. No worries, new story will be up tomorrow. Percy Jackson and the New Era. The first chapter is: New Problem #1. Thank you guys for being such good readers.**

**Love, ~Alice~**


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